THAT TIME I OPTED OUT OF STUDYING

That one time Kristin and Risa decided to bring this home with them...

...also happens to be the one time I opted out of studying for finals to join them.

Don't go thinking I'm a complete slacker though. I did manage to write a nutrition paper, make some taco seasoning, a batch of hummus, some banana muffins and deseed a pomegranate beforehand. That counts for something, right?

Anyways, this movie is one of those things that will forever remind me of the Philippines. That is also probably why I couldn't pass up the chance to watch it again. The first time I saw it was in Cebu with Arturo as we were trying to figure out how on earth we were going to get our new passports. The second time was just days after Robinson's, a mall in Tacloban reopened. For months Chris, one of our country directors, just wanted to go to the movies so when Robinson's opened back up that was exactly what we did. These memories associated with this movie go a lot deeper than that though. Just rewind with me a tiny bit and you'll see. 

I went to Cebu quite a few times over the summer. Arturo and I went twice to figure out passports, which could be and should be, an entire series of posts all on its own. 

Exactly six weeks later I was in Cebu again, this time alone, but with my passport finally in hand. 

Little did I know that just one week later I would be on my way back, this time with, Stephen, Amber, and Ian, Dalyn, and Clark Carel.  No passport drama, just a day at the temple dedicated to making this family eternal. 

Thought my time in Cebu I felt guilt but also acceptance. I felt frustration but also achievement. I felt unsure but hopeful. But more than anything in Cebu, I felt inspiration and love. Cebu brought some of the most incredible experiences. While I was there I learned so much from the people around me, and the people I met while I was there. I developed a trust in myself that I didn't have before, and reaffirmed to me that God's hand really is in all things. Cebu was the trip I never intended to make, but the exact trip I needed each and every time. 

To me, the reopening of Robinson's seemed to be a symbol of just how far Tacloban had come since Yolanda. Robinson's had everything. It was a place where people could get the things they need, such as groceries, clothes, or prescriptions. It was a place where they could get things they wanted such as construction materials for a project, or accessories for a phone. It was a place they could go to escape the struggles of everyday life; like at the arcade or the theatre. For at least seven months that wasn't available. The day Robinson's opened was a day of major accomplishment for Tacloban. 

Leave it to me to turn a night watching The Amazing Spiderman 2 with my roommates into a trip down memory lane. Hopefully, it doesn't bother you. If it does you probably stopped reading a long time ago. But for me having those memories to look back on is something that I will treasure forever because some of those moments are what inspire me to be better each and every day. 

Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby) Update: From what I've heard from people in Tacloban, everyone there was kept safe throughout the duration of the typhoon. Samar is another story, and I am still waiting to hear from people assessing damages there, but there is no doubt in my mind that because of Yolanda in 2013, more lives were spared when Ruby came knocking in 2014.