My time in Argentina is slowly drawing to a close. SEVEN WEEKS have gone by since I landed here in late October. I can’t believe how quickly they’ve gone. It’s a very short time to feel settled in a place and I’ve only just begun to get the feel for the city, the country and its people. But there are other journeys to pursue and Argentina and lovely Buenos Aires can wait just a little longer. I got a feel for Castellano, ate more food than I have in the last 5 years of my life and have had so much wine that I’m likely no longer the lightweight I was when I first came. It has been a relaxing, freeing, soul searching time and I feel very refreshed. Seven weeks to JUST BE have been a real gift. And now, there are new things to learn and other corners of the brain and heart to test and examine.
Next stop on this adventure: the Philippines.
This time in the Philippines is a special one. It’s the first time in over a decade, and only the second time since we immigrated to Canada (when I was 5!), that we will be going home as a family: just the four of us. It’s a time for family. It’s a time to go back to the roots I hardly know anything about. It’s a time to be thankful for the opportunities we had to leave and to return again. Whereas the last few months of travel were definitely meant for inward discovery, the next month will be the opposite. There will be cousins and aunts and grandparents to get to know again. And lots of sharing, giving, talking to be had. It is overwhelming to think that there will be 200 of us, all related by blood and heart, together during this very special Christmas.
My time in Argentina was so fruitful because I made a conscious effort to set some specific goals to accomplish. To learn (as much) Spanish Castellano (as possible), to do some design work, to tango, to pursue some different biz ideas. I was able to do a bit of all these things! And so for the Philippines, I’d like to do the same: attempt to accomplish some interesting things before the month is up.
Things to do:
- Push myself with Portrait Photography (there won’t be a shortage of subjects to be had)
- Create a first-draft plan of a scholarship fund that Mum and I have been talking about
- Implement a family Dragon’s Den
- Create a top-notch reunion program
- Run/walk/sports for at least 30 minutes each day (this is my attempt to recover from all this Argentine eating I’ve done in the last month!)
- Learn to cha-cha-cha
- Eat lots of mangoes, rambutans, coconuts and adobo =)
