Kindle Notes & Highlights
Read between
May 1 - June 5, 2024
America is designed for families of four.
“In 20 years, what would you regret more: having another or not?”
We got to work, and in September 2014, we had Feris.
Lol
Imagine you bump into a close friend you haven’t seen in ten years. She asks, “What have you been up to?” You have 20 minutes to answer her question. Record yourself.
They were the typical Pilipino stereotype, securing stable, recession proof jobs. My dad, Joseph, worked for the US Post Office and my mom, Rebecca, was a nurse.
How much time did I spend away from my family? What was I giving up? Where was my energy spent? Who did I give the best version of myself to? How will my kids remember me and what example do I want to set?
Lesson one: Timing matters. Why can the same experience fall flat for one person but be life-changing for another? It’s all in the timing.
Lesson two: There must be something for everyone.
Lesson three: It all starts with a decision.
We believed there would always be a reason to do it later or an excuse to never do it, so we fully committed, and everything fell into place. If there were an obstacle, such as getting the days off or figuring out how to get from one place to the next, we’d take care of it. Going from talking about doing something to doing it was a massive shift in mindset, and it was empowering to know what we could accomplish.
in life, the how often starts falling into place after you decide. Sometimes you must make that decision before you have all the information.
“If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse.”
We welcomed the change of pace without the kids, but we missed them. We wished they could see and experience everything we went through. Telling them the stories and showing countless pictures wasn’t enough. I wanted to share these experiences with them. I wanted to see how they would react and what they would remember. I wanted to be able to relive the moments and have them contribute to the story.
Reservations working for the military because of ideological beliefs and concerns regarding the use of force and violence.
From their perspective, everything was perfect. We were living their dream. This was the life they imagined and wanted for their children. We were on the path that emphasized a good education, stable income, deep roots, and security. Changing a good thing didn’t make sense.
In the end, we let go of nearly everything because it was all just stuff.
I was impressed by how well the kids adapted to the situation, either trusting us to figure it out or unfazed by the uncertainty of our travel plans.
I didn’t really care where we went next because it didn’t seem like a big deal. I don’t even remember being told we were going to Hong Kong. That shows how much it mattered to me.
