Cagsawa, Springs, Mayon, and Our Other Home | Daily Prompt: Far from Home

Tell us about the farthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

It has to be the Tiwi Hot Springs.

Frankly, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been there since I was kid. And every time is never the same. Something new always happens. But those moments are easily forgotten.

While Bicol is miles away from Manila, it always felt like home.

Certainly, my family was there. And so were our relatives! Granted that—yes—the house became noisier and possibly even crowded, you can’t help but love the feeling of love in the house. Stories and jokes never ceased and there was never an hour that passed without anyone breaking into fits of laughter over something funny or embarrassing.

Even when we were at eating, the noise would still go on. Talking and constant cooking could keep us at the table for hours. And were it not for the matriarchs of the family who love keeping everyone in line, we may have never left the kitchen.

Yes, we could simply go to the ruins or the hot springs. We could easily find the Mayon Volcano in the horizon. But family is what we’re there for. The sights are just great bonuses.

Not really embarrassing but close enough.