'Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.'

― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Over the weekend, my family and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit my Mamang and celebrate her 88th birthday together with my Uncle Martino, Tita Gilda, and Ninang Cindy. It has been three years since we took the three-hour drive to the Central Coast and this one was extra special because we now had Balthazar joining us. Seeing family as an adult is always a wonderful experience because it gives me the permission to not be the 'adultiest' adult in the room and just bask in being taken care of.

Reacquainting with older members of the family as an adult is also an entirely different experience and one that I enjoy immensely. It's like getting to know them for the first time through a lens that has been formed through my own life experience. Hearing stories about our family history, especially stories about my Mamang's younger years, is also a gift because it helps me understand the why behind my own childhood.

Another reason why I love going back to the Central Coast is because it is Anthony's hometown and the place where we met eight (!) years ago. So many things have changed since then and yet the places we've been, including my Ninang's home, stayed the same. There's something to be said about leaving your hometown or a place that was such a huge part of your childhood and returning to it with a different perspective. This time around, Anthony and I looked at this special place right in the middle of San Francisco and Los Angeles, with gratitude.

So many past seasons of our own lives were intertwined with its picturesque towns and landmarks and we both know that a big part of where we are today is because of the dreams that were ignited in those small towns. Anthony and I both had a chance to say thank you to a place that laid the foundation of who we are today, he even had the opportunity to thank a former boss for helping him out when he was younger and going to school while working full time.

It felt nice to go back to the place I spent many summers in, including the pivotal summer of 2015 that ultimately changed the course of my life. The visit was filled with both nostalgia and a hope for great things to come, one that I now share with both my son and my husband. It was also a moment for me to say thank you to both my 13-year-old self and my 27 year-old-self because they both dared to dream and believe for a happier life.