For most people, a trip to the Philippines contains island hopping, fun beaches, and a new culture to explore.  But to me, going back to the island not only gives me warm weather but also an opportunity to visit my relatives and embrace my culture.  No matter how many times I visit the Philippines, I’ll never get tired of it.  The familiarity of the trip is like visiting a version of myself that only exists there, amongst all of the humidity and warm breezes.

The itinerary for our trip was packed to the brim for each day; however, instead of being filled with tourist attractions, it was all travelling province to province to visit different family members scattered around the island.  Each day would start bright and early at five in the morning, around the time that the rooster would crow.  We’d eat breakfast, get ready, and then quickly leave so that we wouldn’t waste any more time.  Philippine traffic is merciless, so we’d be stuck on the road for a good few hours until we actually made it to our destination.  Once we got there, a swarm of hugs would rush towards our group, and then that’s when the real fun would begin.

No matter who you visit in the Philippines, there’ll always be food or small snacks provided.  You could be eating a five-star meal with a huge group of extended family, or sharing a piece of fruit and having one-on-one time with a relative you haven’t seen in forever.  This is what always started the day off when visiting family.  Then, once everyone is done with their food, the adults will continue to talk amongst themselves, while the kids split off to find something else to do.  This is what I’d usually do with my cousins.  We’d explore the village, buying street food and greeting the street animals that wandered, or we’d stay in the house to get away from all the heat.  Overall, the experience is similar to life in the United States, but for me personally, being able to see extended family that lives so far away from me enhances the small things.

The Philippines has a huge mall culture, so whenever we were able to, we’d go straight to the nearest SM Mall and disperse.  Again, the adults would prefer a sit-down talk at cafes like Mary Grace to catch up on all the years that had gone by, while the kids were at a bajillion different stores at once.  As said before, malls play a huge role in the Philippines and are the go-to for most Filipinos, so they contain a variety of shops like banks and grocery stores.  To play in their one-stop shop stereotype, they also have tons of different entertainment.  So, depending on the kids’ moods that day, we’d either be bowling on the top floor or in the arcade right below.  Sometimes, we’d stay there the whole day, waiting for the adults to collect us to go eat at a restaurant, also in the same mall.

While no touristy activities were made during my stay there, the Philippines remains one of my favorite places to frequent.  Being able to be with my extended family that I never get to see makes me appreciate the small things that I usually would overlook in the United States.  Overall, I’ll never get tired of the island and will continue to visit more in the future.