My Special Place - Querencia Final

If I had to pick one place to be my special it would be my grandparents house, located in Jamestown, Virginia. All the way across the United States. It is a 4,693.18 mile trip from here to Virginia. A total of 3 flights. The first one is 8 hours, the second one is 3 hours, and the last one is 1 hour, and that's just going, imagine coming back. Kind of far, I know, but the 14 hour flight is very worth the wait.

Every year me and my family would go visit my dad's side in Virginia. We have more than 20 relatives up there and that's not even counting the ones down here in Hawaii. When visiting it had felt as if time just stopped and that I was in this other time zone with my family. One where I wouldn't have to worry about my problems or be stressed. One where I get to let all my negativity out the door. As I walking into the door I hear my grandma cooking in the kitchen, my cousins screaming and playing in the living room, and my Aunties and Uncles talking in the dinning room. I can smell the won tons and filipino food.

My favorite time of the year to go is in Winter, when my grandma brings out her Christmas decorations and decorates the living room. It's the time of year my grandma bombards the freshly bought Christmas tree with mini Santas and snowman's. When the soft snow just covers 2 inches of the ground. And when we all sing Christmas songs while making our gingerbread cookies.

There are countless memories that I have there. From when my cousin spilled his funnel cake on me, or my first time tasting Freal's in 2009, or when we surprised my grandparents, every time we go there seems to be something that makes me want to stay there forever. When it's time to leave it feels as if I'm leaving one part of me there, which makes me want to come back every year. And when I do go back, I'm reunited with my other half; my Querencia, where the rest of my family is.