One of the biggest chapters in my life ended with my stay in 29 Palms, CA after 4 years there. People always felt bad when I would tell them I was stationed there. Reflecting back the place treated me well, allowed me to be close to my family and friends. I worked with funny/interesting people with whom I enjoyed many laughs (ask me about my banana story and chocolate syrup when you see me) with.
San Diego will always be home although I haven't technically lived there in over a decade: Fullerton-Las Vegas-Chicago (boot camp)-San Antonio-29 Palms-and soon to be Naples, Italy. I'm looking forward to my next adventure in life immersing myself in Italian culture and traveling throughout Europe again.
Food (Mexican/Asian/ good old fashioned cheeseburger) is one of the obvious things I'll miss being abroad but seeing nieces, nephews, and friends kids grow old is right up there. I've enjoyed witnessing them grow and mature into a mini form of their parents and at this stage in life it's a treat to be part of. I may not have one of my own but I enjoy the 10-15 minute window of carrying them, interacting with, or even making them cry (cough cough Cameron).
Being stationed in the continental U.S. I've been able to make all of the weddings for my family and close friends but just like The Undertaker's streak at WM it will come to an end. I know in my heart my boys Sean and Chris understand but I just can't help but feel remorseful. I'm confident that their big days will be filled with lasting memories with friends and family and I look forward to snaps, pics, and video.
At this point in life it saddens me to say I have been to more funerals than weddings/baptisms combined but it's reality. When my cousin whom I share the exact birthdate with and 2 of my close friends lose one of the most important people in their lives it's a reality check. Support and condolences don't seem like they're ever enough but sometimes it's prayer and the big man above you've got to turn to to help you and them.
Wedding of the Year: Richard and Tina Domondon. The youngest cousin on the Morales side (mom), only the second cousin on the Reyes side (dad), 320 guests, and 13 years in the making. I love my sister and new brother Richard and always knew he was the one for her. His kindness, respect, and most of all patience for my sister is a tough boulder to shoulder but if there's one man who can do it, it's Richard. I am thankful I got to be part of the special day although I missed half of the reception. There always has to be that "one guy" and this time it was me #noregrets.
Besides the wedding it was an excuse for a Reyes family reunion. This wedding had put a smile on my dads face I haven't seen in a while. Witnessing my dad be home in the PI and now this wedding is a different kind of smile and demeanor about him. 6 of 7 of his siblings were reunited along with their mother (my Lola) for this event. My auntie Bing from the PI was able to make it for her first visit to USA for the wedding which made it that more special for the Reyes family. My dad enjoyed giving the hospitality to his siblings as if they were young kids again back home in the province of Mangatarem, Pangasinan. With him being the eldest of 7 I know I carry a lot of my dads traits and I hope to replicate it with Randy and Tina.
I'm writing this entry on my phone as I ride a bus through Liberia, Costa Rica. I wanted to do one more trip before I left this part of the world and looked and various spots (PI, Portland, Chicago, Singapore) and chose Costa Rica. Traveling with Randy again this country is gorgeous. It's a climate I have never experienced before. The rain forest and volcanoes just seem unreal.
Oh let me write about the journey to get here. We flew out of San Diego Friday May 28 scheduled for 11:20AM to Houston. Severe thunderstorms kept incoming and outgoing planes delayed or grounded. After boarding the plane in SD and being in the runway we de-planed back to the terminal for a delay of 1.5 hours. After finally leaving at 3:45PM we arrived in Houston at 9PM when out connecting flight was originally at 5:40PM kept getting pushed back because of delays and ended up being cancelled. We arrived on the runway in Houston but because of cancelled flights and delays there was no gate for us to park so we stayed on the plane on the runway for a good 2 hours. Thanks to the airlines technology I was able to reserve seats for Randy and I on the first flight out the next morning while we were mid flight to Houston. Finally getting off the plane we walked through the Houston terminal to witness hundreds may be thousands of stranded passengers just like us. It was just insane how many people were stranded just like us. It has never happened to me before but when Mother Nature comes a knocking, safety first. We were able to find a nice flat bench as big as a twin sized bed right after the security check point around 130AM settled in nicely for a quick 2-3 hour sleep. Was woken up at 5AM and kicked out like a bum sleeping on a park bench as TSA was opening the security checkpoint where we were sleeping. At this point we stayed close to the E terminal checked the screen again and gate changed back to C terminal for the 3rd time over night. Made our way back to C caught a little more zzz's uncomfortably, brushed our teeth in the airport restroom and it was time to finally board. Again we witnessed hundreds if not thousands of passengers trying to get on the first flight out due to cancelled flights. Thankfully we still had our seats on the first flight out and made it to Costa Rica after 24 hours of travel.
There isn't much you can do when flights are cancelled or delayed. Like I said it was the first time this big of a delay has altered my traveling plans. In the Navy they have a saying "semper gumby" always flexible and that's the approach you've got to take at times roll with what you got, don't stress yourself out, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Randy and I stayed at the Riu in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Very similar setup to the Riu that we had stayed at in Cabo San Lucas for the Cristi's wedding. It's a good balance of relaxing at the resort and choosing to pay for certain excursions you'd like to do to explore the country. The rain forest was the most intriguing part for me. I've lived in the desert for the past 11 years I'd say so to be around that much lush greenery and a different Eco-system it just made it fascinating. Staying at the resort we didn't immerse ourself into Costa Rican culture since it was isolated and we were in the pacific side of the country. We got to experience hiking through the rain forest, swimming in volcanic streams and waterfalls, zip lining through tree canopies, horse back riding through the rain forest, and witnessed an array of animals in their regular habitat not called the San Diego Zoo.
I would definitely like to return to the country and go closer to San Jose the capital. I look forward to experiencing and witnessing the Gulf of Mexico side of the country but overall my first trip to Costa Rica has been a pleasant one. Pura Vida my friends.
1 comment:
This blog entry was lit af
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