It is true what people say: that sometimes, we only learn to appreciate what we have or had when we are away from them. I was born and raised in the Philippines, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in the world – a country blessed with 7000+ islands (actual numbers still being disputed), coral reefs, rainforests, mountain ranges, and just overall immense beauty. This is home. Being from the province, however, I grew up seeing all of this on a daily basis that it became too familiar.
I guess it’s a fact of life; but growing up as kids, we never want to leave the comforts of home. We don’t want to stray away from the familiar and we don’t want to be too far from the comforting arms of our family, either. As we grow older, however, we start to yearn to explore and experience the world. There comes a point in our lives that we eventually leave the place we call home.
It’s been a full year now and I have been traveling halfway across the world from home. I have learned so much from this experience and got an overall sense of perspective. Being away, immersed in foreign tongues, strange food, unfamiliar sights and people, I started to miss the familiarity of home. So I took a flight back.
Coming home, not much has physically changed after a year. It’s the same old things that I’ve been used to all my life. But then, I came to realize what I truly miss. It’s the warmth and comfort of family, long conversations with friends, and the islands, beaches, and places with endless memories. Being away makes you see things in a different light. Now I look at the familiar things from a different perspective.
I guess it’s human nature, but we tend to take everything that we’ve had from the beginning. Sometimes, being away may be the only way to appreciate what we have and what we don’t because most times everything becomes too familiar that we forget to see the beauty that surrounds us. I traveled halfway across the world only to realize that the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to is right here at home.
December 28, 2023 0
