I grew up as an independent person. I was taught not to depend on people when I can do things on my own, and to always have that quest for learning. Part of the learning process is my eagerness to learn a language and culture other than my own. I never wanted to be a boxed-up individual. I want to be on my own and explore the world and doing that will never be easy. I realized at an early age that I need to be strong to achieve my dreams, and I need a good education to accomplish everything. My family was and is always been supportive of me. I was sent to great schools and I was able to meet great teachers who honed my skills as an individual. I will never forget my kindergarten teacher – Miss Emelie Vallejos, who taught me the importance of great speech which includes proper pronunciation. I know I am blessed to have given the chance to have good education and a great support group. I am contented with what I have and what I have become, but I never realized that I was prepped up to be someone I never thought I would be. I was being prepared to be in a nation that I never thought I would set foot in my whole existence.
I worked as a call center agent back in 2004. I was building computer packages for Americans. It wasn’t an easy job and I told myself I don’t want to be associated with Americans because they were arrogant and sometimes too dependent on other people and won’t even read manuals. I thought the idea of just calling up for help without helping yourself in the first place, is downright silly. That was the first time I learned to hate my job and the people I dealt with on the phone. I thought all Americans were like my customers. I stereotyped every single white guy I see on the streets or even on tv. But that didn’t stop me from watching American shows and movies. I still wanted to learn more about their culture even if it means dealing with the horrible attitude of the customers I was able to encounter. I eventually quit my job and get another job – which, to my horror is almost the same as my previous occupation, but this time it was tougher. I had to be a technical support representative and work on routers, hubs, switches, etc. It was a 1-year struggle to stay in the company. If not for my mom, I would’ve quit after a month. I had to deal with Americans again! It was stressful and I was most of the time, irate.
That struggle I have for white people continued until I became a soft skills trainer and was given the opportunity to go to Thailand and learn how to teach English to foreign students. It was then I had face to face interaction with people from different nationalities and most of then are white. It was then I realized, that they do have a good heart and they are not at all douchebags. I gave myself the chance to let go of my dumb stereotype against white people and welcomed the idea of learning how they live and how they interact with people. I have realized that I am the stuck-up person and not them. It was my chance to loosen up and open my eyes to a culture other than my own. I didn’t hate them that much anymore. It was a good sign. I had plans of leaving the Philippines on 2010 to go outside of my comfort zone, but I never had a certain country in mind.
Then came October 2008. An unexpected event happened which made me realize that great things happen to those who wait. A wonderful person named Timothy added me up on facebook and changed my life forever. He opened my eyes to the real heart of a great American. He has changed my views on a lot of things and he has changed it for the better. On December 25, 2008, we committed to each other and from then on, lived each waking moment together even if we were far apart. He came over to visit me in the Philippines last on the 6th until the 10th of February. He proposed on the 9th of February, at Jack’s Ridge Davao. It was a very memorable time for both of us. I wanted time to stop and I wanted to be with him from that day on, but he had to go back to the States the next day. It wasn’t an easy ordeal. We had encountered challenges along the way, but our commitment to communicate every single day and the consistency of communicating made us grow strong as a couple and face each challenge together and overcome it. We spent every waking and sleeping moment together. We consistently communicated. It was one thing that really helped us in our long distance relationship. We started the paperwork for the K1(fiancé) visa last June 2009 and we waited and prayed for everything to be smooth sailing. After months of waiting, we finally got the approval on September that same year. Things went by so fast after that. I had my medical exam last October then my embassy interview that almost scared the hell out of me last November. With my family’s prayers, Tim’s great love and wonderful support, and God’s blessing, I aced the interview and completed everything in one go. I am ready to leave my beloved country to be with the man I love. It was surreal and I thought I was just dreaming.
January 20th marked the day a Filipina like me realistically set foot on American soil. After 11 months of being away from each other, Tim and I are finally reunited and this time, no one is leaving anyone anymore. We will be together for the rest of our lives and will be starting a family together. St. Patrick’s day will mark the day that Tim and I will be uniting our hearts together as a married couple. Fairytales do happen!
"Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you only have one life to live and one chance to do all the things you want to do." -anonymous
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