Home will always be with me

I am from a land that has

175 Spoken languages

7,641 islands

81.63 million population

and was

333 years under the rule of Spain

5 years as a colony of the United States of America

I am from a third world country.

But today, I am 7,420.5 miles away from home.

I am from the innocence of three seeds.
I am from diverse creeds.
I am from sidewalks in a gated subdivision.
I played my favorite games in the streets.
I'm often left behind and so I cry.
I ate street foods, my dad never wanted me to try.
I grew my hair long, long enough that probably, I could step on it. 
I am from a small play school that teaches English, Spanish and Chinese.
I am raised with multilingual tongue.
I am from a home where I can scream & sing at the top of my lungs.
I am from school uniforms on weekdays.
I am from tomboy clothes to pretty doll dresses on Sundays. 
I am from a world of performing arts.
I am from popular theater performances, dance competitions, choir and individual song competitions.
I am from thunders, floods and storms to blazing hot days on repetitions.

In the summer time,
I am from solid ice to its liquid phase.

I never want to stay home. 
I am from an unending pace.

Shopping malls are enormous, you can get lost.

Commuting is the easiest way to get to a place.

Tricycles, fx, taxis and jeepneys are scattered along the busy streets.

This is the time where I fly to my provinces where I visit my parents' hometowns.

Mangrove Forest in Aklan

I am excited.

A 2 hour flight feels like a long wait.

But here I am, Finally.

The mountain views.

The smell of the forest.

The green grass and salt water.

Farm animals and fresh harvest.

This is my escape from skyscrapers and busy streets.

I wake up to the sound of the birds chirping.
The sound of the roosters as the sunrises.
I have an overlooking view of the rice fields and the pacific ocean.
I hear the waves splash, It was so calming and soothing.
I sit on our porch with a cup of fresh cocoa very morning.
I see and greet the same people as they walk by to catch some fish early.
I ran in rice fields and up and down the hills.
I don't have to worry about any bills.
I go for 2 months without a phone or an internet because there was no service at all. 

I am from ignorant to knowledgeable.

I am from the dry land to the wet seas where I learned how to sail.

Boracay, Aklan

I am from drivers and maids to doing everything on my own.

I from technology to learning life skills from the elders I hail.

I am from ceramic plates and silverwares to eating with my hands and banana leaf.

I am from a concrete home to a nipa hut.
I am from clockwise turns to staying stiff.
I am from sitting up straight to jungles, I never thought I'd make the cut.
I am from a cotton like foam to a rock hard floor.
I am from Air condition to paper fan.
I am from doorman who holds my door.

Everyday, we set some fire to rid of many mosquitos.

And at night before we all go to bed,
We hear folklore stories that until now are never dead.
It has almost been 5 years since I left home but whenever I think of it, it's like I never really left home.

Mentor texts: George Lyon and Jason Michael Caroll