Filipino American with a passion for making a difference.
Writer. Blogger. Dreamer. Adventurer.
I believe in creating the life you dream for yourself. I once heard a quote when I was younger, “Don’t wait for life to happen, happen to life.” I took that seriously. Life is an adventure and I want to live it to the fullest.
I am Filipino American. I didn’t always associate myself with that identity. American, yes. Part Filipino was usually what I responded with if people ever asked me. I didn’t grow up learning a lot of Filipino culture. I couldn’t have really explained much about my heritage. But by coincidence, I was sent to the Philippines (2011-2014) as a Peace Corps volunteer where I was assigned to a small nonprofit in Baguio City, located in the mountainous region of the country. My work consisted of a variety of community development programs for youth and families. I learned to speak the local language, Tagalog, for the first time. I was taught about, whether verbally or by lived experience, the complex and varied culture and way of life.
In the end, I found I could see more clearly what it meant to be Filipino, what it meant to be American, and discovered that I didn’t quite fit into either category very snugly. There was an ambiguous place somewhere in the middle in which I found myself, that was neither one nor the other, but both, intertwined so tightly that those knots will never again untangle themselves.
I am proud to call myself a Filipino American and feel privileged to represent a combination of different cultures as who I am. My experience has only left me yearning to learn and understand more.
Whatever story you might have, I created this blog, Halo-Halo, Mix-Mix, in the hope that by sharing my experiences it will benefit others who are searching to learn more about their own backgrounds and histories.
Feel free to contact me at: updates [at] halohalomixmix [dot com]