(By Charmaine Sales)
HAVE you ever experienced that sensation when you wake up ecstatic because you are counting the days when you are finally able to fly home and relish life on the island once again? The nagging temptation of the white-sand beaches; the abundant greenery of home; the gatherings; the socials; and even the dramas â big or small – that accompany life on a regular basis when one steps inside oneâs sanctuary – home sweet home â captivate you making you feel like youâre embarking on yet another life journey!
Having gone through a terrible and devastating loss in 2021, my anticipation was strong to visit my country of origin to seek solace and comfort; renew my inner strength; and be in the company of friends and loved ones. Losses are an intense phase, and one needs to be assured and reassured that healing will come in time and that we have a community to help us regain our footing, our equilibrium.
Having said that, in early October 2022, I was ready to embrace a new vacation adventure in the Philippines. With the COVID-19 threat dissipating and most restrictions lifted, people are now back to traveling.
Excitement and anticipation for a memorable vacation with family, siblings, friends, and relatives inspired me for after all my last homecoming was still in the summer of 2018. My top-most vacation goal and priority were spending time with family and relatives.
Unable to see siblings, relatives, and friends for four long years fueled my enthusiasm to be in the company of loved ones. I was looking forward to bonding time and home-made food and delicacies, and true enough I wasnât disappointed! Time spent with relatives and friends was a delight. I accomplished the mission.
I also wanted to build a new bathroom in the home where I grew up â in the Philippines we call it ancestral home. I wanted it modern with hotel amenities to boot. I already did my research for bathroom designs and planned to start construction while I was on vacation. I wanted to accomplish something while I was in the Philippines. I hired a very competent architect who catered to my ideas and yes, demands. I was able to supervise the project.
Unlike my prior visits, I didnât go to a lot of adventure trips and resorts to prioritize relationship-building and my dream bathroom. Adding joy to my vacation was being invited to speak and lecture to different classes at the University of Bohol College of Nursing. Giving a lecture is truly a treat!
For the Christmas season, I had a blast joining family get-togethers and reunions. For the first time after a long time, I heard carolers singing Christmas songs but oftentimes out of tune, haha! Worse, they no longer sing the popular âDaghanâg Salamat sa Pinaskohanâ after receiving their monetary gifts. How times have changed, huh!
For a taste of choral music, I watched the holiday concerts at the Tagbilaran City Hall grounds which was decked with traditional Filipino Christmas decors. I must say the fascinating water fountain is a crowd drawer. Hundreds of Tagbilaranons enjoyed the nightly Christmas festivity.
Naturally, one canât get away from the famed Boholano fiesta! I attended the Baclayon fiesta at Casa de Galvan and chanced upon local businesspeople and doctors while savoring delicious lechon and palatable food.
For my high school batch â BNHS Batch 1985, we held a beach Christmas party at the Dumaluan Beach and tremendously enjoyed ourselves. There is nothing like childhood friends! It makes you appreciate your life journey.
Culminating my three-month trip, I attended the Lungay Alay-Ano Clan Reunion, did repeat guesting on Woman Talk with Belinda Sales, joined 2023 new year eve dinner with our Marante cousins â Nong Paul, Eva, and Val, and their expanding family, and 2023 New Yearâs Day birthday dinner at Shang Palace with my sister for my nephew Hezekiah Kit.
Thereâs really no place like home. Oneâs roots always anchor us, refresh; reinvigorate. There is a lesson to be learned in all these experiences. Connectedness and being heard are an antidote to isolation and loneliness.
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Food for Thought
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. â By Lao Tzu
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Writer hosts Woman Talk with Belinda Sales at 91.1 Balita FM Tagbilaran City every Saturday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. She can be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
