The Philippines is a republic that contains over 7,000 pacific islands located near Thailand and Vietnam. It’s the 7th most populated country in Asia, and 12th most populated country in the world.

The Philippines is one of the most popular places for scuba diving, and a vacation spot. A lot of people go there to visit their families, or just to enjoy their summers. The turquoise waters and rainforests will have you wish you never left. The people are so welcoming and they love meeting people from different countries, especially the United States.
When I went to the Philippines for the second time this past summer, I had such an enjoyable time with all of my family there. We spent so much time showing me around the farms, and the markets. A lot of my family comes from my mother’s side, and they live in the country.
Depending on how far from Manila (the capital) you travel, you will see different types of cities. You could travel 6 hours north of Manila, and get to the country, and continue for another 3 hours, you will reach one of the most famous cities: Pagasinan. You could then travel another 5 hours and end up in the mountains. It’s really beautiful and I highly encourage everyone to go at one point in their lives.
When I went back to the Philippines over the summer (17 hours flying + 6 hours of driving), I spent a lot of time with family. We got there three days before my birthday, so we were preparing for that while we were getting settled and unpacking. A lot of the time I would just ride on a motorcycle with my cousins and just explore. They don’t live in the city, so we got away with riding motorcycles and such. My cousin also got married on July 5th. I was the maid of honor at her wedding. Weddings are different there than they are here, so experiencing that was really amazing, except the church didn’t have air conditioning. It was hot. I wouldn’t have traded the experience for anything though. I love and miss my family and I can’t wait to go back.