I Get By with a Little Help From My Friends :)

One of the best things about traveling is my getting to spend an hour/afternoon/day/weekend with friends I've made over my lifetime. Beyond the stories exchanged or shared photographs and anecdotes, what I love most is getting to see them live in their new reality.

The picture I have in my head of who they are is when I had gotten to know them; the past we shared together, usually living in the same place, experiencing the same things. Then circumstances change and people move on. Outside of an affection for one other, many of the threads that bind are memories of the past.

Getting the chance to create new memories with the people that I love are opportunities I will always grab at. It's always interesting to see what time does to a relationship, as not all relationships last.

Luckily, no relationships lost during this past trip! In fact, most, if not all relationships sealed themselves as "keepers" in my book. I felt extremely blessed to have seen friends from the different "parts" of my life; from my childhood, high school and college life.

I went through a slew of self-reflection having seen everyone, but the emotion that stood out the most for me was inspiration. It was incredibly inspiring to see the relationships they were nurturing, careers they were building and homes they were creating, outside of the the comfort zone that living in the Philippines can bring.

Thanks to many of my unknowing friends, I now face the uncertainty of the next few months with re-focused and re-energized commitment and passion.