Life as just a couple (as in, no baby yet) was full of travel adventures for me and Mor. We booked one trip after another (some small, some big) and always looked forward to the next one.
When I got pregnant, my in-laws forbade me to travel (haha, long story and I obeyed) and after having Luke, traveling didn’t come as easy either. For reasons too many to mention, we both decided that it wasn’t an option to bring him with us yet (at least for the meantime) so if we wanted to travel, we couldn’t do it together; one of us had to stay with Luke.
So save for one quick 3-day Hong Kong getaway with my friends (which I am very grateful for, for sure), I haven’t gone anywhere literally for years (almost two at least hehe) and I’m extremely itching to travel.
And when I say extremely, I mean extremely. Everything seems to remind me of traveling; the cafeteria at the church we go to smells like an airport to me, the new mall we visited reminds me of a place abroad and I asked Mor not to use up too much of this new body wash because it reminds me of the smell of hotel rooms. This travel thing is not a joke, you guys; I’m really obsessed with it. Haha.
And so it was inevitable; it seems that Luke got our thirst for adventures too (in his own baby way!) We actually call him our little explorer!
Once the car starts moving, he would look outside the window intently, checking out each car, house and tree that we pass by. Whenever we take him some place new, whether it’s in the mall or a friend’s house, he would first look around and observe everything. Then after a few minutes of warm up, he’s everywhere like a little tornado; checking out every single thing he can get his hands on! Take note, he’s not even walking yet!
I’m not even kidding when I tell you that he always knows when we’re about to take him out of the house. He’s gets so excited that he would try to leap into my (or Mor’s) arms and would immediately wave goodbye (vigorously!) to all our househelp! (He’s been doing this since he was only 9 months! Oh man… Haha!)
But unlike the way I long for grand adventures in faraway places, Luke takes delight in the everyday things like swaying trees, grass and simple slides. So Mor and I love bringing him to new places (parks, playgrounds, new malls) and we really look forward to showing him new things!
Earlier this month, we took him on his first staycation ever at H2O Hotel Manila where they had aquariums on the walls and if you could only see the excitement on his face when we first rolled up the blinds — no exaggeration; he howled like a wolf! Haha!
Now I understand what they mean when they say to see the world through the eyes of a child.
I’ve been too busy longing for the next big trip that I haven’t been able to appreciate all the beauty that God has been showing me right here! I’ve been so spoiled by God and like a spoiled child, I was desperate for the big and grand and I’ve forgotten to appreciate the little everyday things that make life beautiful. (I’m sorry, God!)
And He has definitely been showing me beautiful things! Sure, I haven’t seen the sunrise with the Angkor Wat at the background (yet, hehe), but this is the view I get from my bathroom window if I wake up at 5am. (Hello, mom life!)
Sure, I haven’t been to the beach in like forever but I get to splash around with my cutiepie at our own backyard! And yes, I miss winter, snow and furry jackets and I miss summer in the North where the sun is up but the air is cool (I am partial to cold weather) but I live in a place where it’s summer all year round and I really, really cannot complain.
Enjoying the sunlight in December
And just as we, as parents, want to show and let Luke experience all the beautiful things in this world, God as our heavenly Father also does the same, but sometimes, we’re too busy longing for something else to appreciate the beauty he has been showing right in front of us.
Of course, I won’t lie, I still look forward to the day when I can travel to faraway places again (maybe this time with Luke?) and I’m pretty sure I would still smell an airport when I passby the church cafeteria (wanderlust; it can’t be helped!) but as a New Year’s resolution, I’m going sit back and enjoy the things in my own backyard (sometimes literally, sometimes not).
There are so many beautiful things that God is showing us, if only we take the time to delight in the everyday.
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