Hello or kumusta kayo! Welcome to my Freeman Asia blog!
As I sit here in my spacious, air conditioned, living room I wonder where I may be sitting a week from now writing my 2nd blog post. I ponder what I may be looking at, what I may be sitting on, who I will be with, where I will be and will there be any air conditioning?- hah!
The Philippines is hot and humid, especially in the summer. Their weather is very tropical and unpredictable. One day it could be down-pouring and the next it could be close to 100 degrees. I am lucky to know what I am getting myself into as I have been to the Philippines before! I traveled with my mom in the summer of 2019 with my church for a mission trip. We spend 14 days in the city of San Pablo interacting with different communities and helping in any ways we could. One of the things I am most excited for is to visit the many friends, some who I consider family, back in San Pablo.
Although I have been to the Philippines before, it doesn’t make the anticipation grow any smaller. I am curious about many things as the unknown can be scary. Last time I traveled I was with my mom. This time I will be completely on my own with people I have only briefly had an acquaintance. I am excited to find out what I will be doing, where I will be living, as well as the new lifestyle and routine I will grow into. When I return in August, I know I will have an abundance of experiences and opportunities under my belt that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I couldn’t be more grateful for IWU as well as the Freeman Asia program for allowing me to embark on a unique journey like this one. I have looked forward to this since my freshman orientation day I had in 2019! In 8 days I will be on a plane traveling to the other side of the world and the next time you hear from me I will be in another country. See you soon or paalam!