Finding Peace in the Islands
Growing up in the West, life often feels like a race — busy schedules, constant noise, and little time to breathe. But stepping onto the islands of the Philippines changes everything. The air feels lighter, the days slower, the world quieter. Here, peace is found in simple things: the sound of waves at dawn, meals shared under a nipa hut, laughter echoing through a village street. Visiting the places our parents or grandparents once called home isn’t just travel — it’s a return to something familiar, even if we’ve never lived it ourselves. In the islands, we are reminded that peace doesn’t always come from achievement or speed. Sometimes it comes from stillness, from community, from remembering where we came from. And when we leave, we carry a piece of that calm with us — a reminder that our roots are always there to ground us.