This was the first international trip that I've done with my whole family and we chose to go to my mothers homeland in Iloilo, Philippines. I didn't know that they have more then 7,000 islands and that they speak more then one dialect. The people there are very friendly and fed us more then 6 times everyday. We used the peso instead of the dollar. The exchange rate was 48P/$1 which was good at the time. We stayed near a farm in Santa Barbara with my second cousins and then regularly visited my first cousins and aunts at Tigtig. They tried to teach me some Ilongo which is the native tounge but all I learned was mabuhay, salamat, ano ang sina sabe mo, mahal ki ta, kumusta-ka, sige, di-in, masarap. The trip lasted only two weeks but it left me with memories I will never forget.

Being a country boy and a water lover I would rather use mother nature to cross train out of season then use weights and all other man made equiptment. I like the breeze of fresh air hitting my face as I run in the sand on a beach right on the pacific ocean. I like challenging the currents while I am underwater carrying a rock and holding my breath. I like hiking as high I can go and then looking down at beautiful views.

This was the first time that my mom ever went to pearl harbor to do the whole exploration tour inside the battle ship Missouri. We went on Ford island and checked out John Waynes house from the movie Tora Tora and all the cool other things. I showed my mom where the admiral stays and also different views of the Arizona. We had a great time that day!