The Homecoming-Long Island NY

It has been nearly a year since I have last been at my childhood home. I have called Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, Philippines home since last July. My finace Bobby had been assigned to this city by the US Peace Corps and I joined him about 3 months after he moved there. It took a bit of persuasion and consideration but I finally mustered up the courage to quit my job with a fashion company in NYC. My life was slowly rotting away in my cubicle and my soul was rapidly being defeated by my 2 hour one way trip. Moving to the Philippines was a surprisingly easy choice.

What has proven to be a more difficult choice was to visit my family in New York. My parents came to America from Lithuania with a hope for a brighter future from this land of opportunity. It has proven to be a constant struggle to explain to my mom that perhaps, the Philippines could be MY land of opportunity. I think day by day she is becoming more accepting of my decision but I still don’t think that she fully understands it. I had been terrified to face all of the inevitable interrogation but I had received news that I was eligible for a large grant and there would be an interview to take place in NY. Needless to say, I was on my way.

I have had very little contact with my family since being in the Philippines. I received about 4 emails and a few text messages. Now I am in family overload and I am really quite overwhelmed. Bobby and I had recently announced that we will have our wedding in Egypt and have not gotten a very warm welcome to this decision. Not that people are not happy for our upcoming marriage but they are upset at the thought of leaving their comfort zone. They will be entering a world that the US media does not paint a pretty image of.

So basically I have been an army of one these past few days. I am constantly having to fight for and to justify no longer just our living in the Philippines (which baffled most) but to now also to keep the peace over the choice of our wedding location. I am utterly exhausted physically and emotionally. I have 35 more days until I am back in the Philippines and can have some peace!