It's been a long time...

I've managed to survive the Philippines. Some people struggle with not having enough food to eat. Some struggle with the lack of good education. Some fight against corruption daily.

Here I was struggling with self-identity. I did not know if I belonged here. If I was a Filipino. If I was an American. If I was a Filipino-American. A year and a half later, I realized that we are all people, wherever we go. We have our own struggles; some just have it more difficult.

The things that used to bother me still bother me, but not to the extent that they would drive me crazy. I have learned to accept things that I cannot change and to continue fighting for things that really matter. I have learned to smile despite the hardship. I have learned to dignify people even more. I have learned that a fellow man, regardless of where he's from, is still a man.

When I first came here, most of my family and friends thought I was going crazy. They thought I've lost my mind.

They were right. I was crazy. And I did lose my mind. But I lost it when I got here. Then I found it again. I saw the horror, yet learned from them.

There are some things that are difficult to fathom here, but they can be surmountable. It starts from within. It starts in a change of attitude. I am continuing to change my attitude while I am here.

And I know that I am not writing specifics in this post, but I am glad that I came back to this blogging again to have a reflection so that I can see where I've been and where I am going.