Of Summers and Stories

My Chapter One begins in Negros.

Every summer, as a child, I would return to my family’s hometown. Those months weren’t just vacations—they were homecomings. I remember the scent of sugarcane fields after the rain. I remember long, quiet afternoons with my mother, hearing stories that stretched back generations.

Those summers taught me where I came from. Not just in a geographic sense, but in a deeper way—understanding our customs, our food, our values. I didn’t know it then, but I was building a connection to something far greater than myself: our culture. Our heritage.

As I grew older, my journeys took me beyond Negros. I explored islands I had only seen in textbooks. I walked through centuries-old churches, witnessed festivals that honored both faith and folklore, met artisans preserving traditions with their hands and hearts.

Each destination revealed something new—but also something familiar. Because across the archipelago, I found echoes of the same spirit I grew up with: resilience, hospitality, and pride in place.

Travel, for me, has never just been about seeing the world. It’s been about returning—to who I am, and where I’m from.

My Chapter One isn’t just a memory of a childhood spent in the province. It’s the foundation of a lifelong journey. One that keeps me grounded, and keeps me curious.

Because the more I travel, the more I see—our stories matter. And the best way to move forward is to remember where it all began.