Reunited and it Feels So Good!

Top: Sherwin, Jason, Norea, Ervin, and Paul
Bottom: Lorial, LJ, and Maricel (my roommate in the Philippines)
I'm randomly in between top and bottom

Back in 2003 at the University of Washington, I went to class one morning and my Filipino professor (Dr. Bonus, who is totally awesome) began class with an announcement. He announced that there was a new study abroad program offered to students throughout the USA, that would run throughout the summer at the University of the Philippines. My ears immediately perked up, and I was instantly interested. So, that summer, I packed up and went to the Philippines to study along with 31 other college student from everywhere in the US. We were the guinea pigs of this new program, so we all kind of struggled together, and had so much fun doing it.

My time in the Philippines that summer was one of the most enriching experiences of my entire life. I learned a lot about my own heritage, and most importantly, I met some really great people who will be my friends for the rest of my life. We were all part of something so great, and this group of people mean a great deal to me. Though I was not super close to all of them, we all had a lot of respect for each other, and when we were all together, it was such a good time. You would think that 31 college-aged young adults with very different personalities would create drama, but we had nothing but a good time together. I kept in touch closely with some, who also kept in touch with others, who kept in touch with others, so we're all still connected somehow.

Last weekend, some friends from the program flew in to Seattle from New Jersey, New York, Chicago, LA, Santa Cruz, and Alaska for a mini-reunion and it was so great to see them all. We truly picked up where we left off, even after 5 years. It was nice to see that everyone is doing wonderful things in their lives. The weekend came and went all too quickly. I can't wait to see them all again.