This last weekend we drove up to Baguio. If we had really thought about it, we probably would have rescheduled this trip because of the timing (3 weeks straight of overseas travel and another trip this upcoming weekend does not a happy camper make). But, we had already made our reservations at the Ambassador's residence, and the kids were really looking forward to hanging out in the woods. And hang out in the woods we did! When I was a little girl my father used to take the family on long walks through the woods near our home in Maryland, and we would pretend to be characters out of a fantasy story he came up with during his college years. He even wrote a book* about it and then quickly buried it away never to see the light of day until we were teenagers! My particular character was Ynnubeno (bunny one, backwards). My little sister was Ynnubowt (natch).** My older sister was a shapeshifter, my father, the Purple Wizard, and my mother was the Snuggly Buggly. And, of course, there was the imaginary evil villain, Lox Norbagel. And, well, if you've been reading this blog for a while, none of this is going to be surprising to you. ;)
My children also took delight in coming up with characters for themselves (most of which were actually Pokemon characters, but whatevs). Hiking through the woods and letting their imaginations run wild was just so much fun. There are a lot of things that make Manila a challenging place to serve, but I think I miss being close to nature the most. I miss being able to take quiet walks in places where there aren't any people, where I can just feel at one with my surroundings. I really enjoyed that aspect of Baguio. It was unfortunate that we could only spend the weekend there. And no matter how insanely you drive, it is still a good 6hr drive from Manila thanks to the infrastructure (or, rather, the lack there of) here. For other FS who serve in Manila or just come to visit, it is so, so worth it to get the cottage at the Ambassador's residence there. It is completely private, right across from a hiking/biking/horseback riding path that cuts through the forest, and it is nice a cool even now during the hottest summer months. We just enjoyed the crap out of it. We'll definitely be booking another (longer) trip whether we can fit it in before the summer or after.
*semi-child inappropriate
**better break out the map and blacklight next time we're in NM, Dad!
**edited because I am old and forgetful!
3 comments:
I'm not even sure that book is even adult appropriate. Written in an altered state of consciousness you know.
And in the interest of accuracy your characters were Ynnubeno and Ynnubowt :)
I cannot believe I made that mistake *hangs head in shame*. I blame it on Mom brain/I am old now. Corrections have been made!
I can hardly believe that is in the Philippines. Looks so different! One more trip to go and then you can sit at home.
Post a Comment