Life in the Province: A Short Vacation

Nothing seems to be peaceful when you are at home, in the place where you grew up, surrounded by the people you love.

I had already been away and working since I was 21 years old, right after college. Living alone and being independent was something I learned at an early age.

As a young single mother, I needed to mature quickly, and leaving my daughter with my mother was a difficult but brave decision. My mom was always very supportive of me and made everything simple for me.

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_{I realized how much she had grown up.}

I used to visit home 2-3 times a year whenever I could get away from work, but since the pandemic, I've not been able to do so because we had to be quarantined.

As soon as the peak season at work is over and after the typhoon, I can finally have my long overdue vacation.

I was a bit emotional when I landed. The airport was 2 hours away from my hometown, but I could still feel at home. Just before we landed, I could see the amazing view of rice fields, the mountains, and the small roads.

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On our way home, I could already tell how much my hometown had improved. There are now more restaurants and a snack bar. This is a pretty small municipality, and people tend to recognize each other.

Our house is an ancestral house. It’s where my grandmother grew up and was built by my great-grandparents. Yes, this house is old, but thanks to some renovations over the years, it is still standing.

Our backyard is like a farm. We have lanzones trees, star apple trees, and mango trees. I used to climb these trees when I was young. Oh, I forgot about the cacao tree. My grandmother always makes "tablea" chocolate tablets from scratch.

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We always have free-range chickens too, but this time I was very surprised that my mom also got five turkeys. I did not know she raised turkeys. It was really fun feeding them. I ran every time they tended to chase me.

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Mornings are the most peaceful time for me. With the backyard view, morning coffee and the best breakfast prepared and cooked by mother are the best. How I wish can stay at this moment.

All through the day, I am very busy just with my pajamas and chilling at home. cooking with my mom and taking care of my daughter. She grew up really fast and was very mature at her age. I feel like I am already being taken to see my best friend. I also spend time chatting with the oldies (grandma and her sisters).

I also took out some time to practice driving. With the open road and no traffic, it was perfect. I drove up to the next town to try some "sisig." Chop up pork meat on a sizzling plate with chilis and eggs. It was a new small restaurant, and they were famous for their sisig dish.

*** It was a very worthwhile vacation, and since the borders are now opened with no quarantine needed to travel, I will be able to go home often now.***

My time at home was the most peaceful I'd ever experienced.