It was 12:20 pm when we arrived at Costco earlier. My mom was on a mission: to find ham so we can serve it as a centerpiece for Christmas Eve dinner. I grabbed the cart and rushed inside with foot traffic in mind. When we got to the refrigerator section, mom was struggling to read the labels (she forgot her spectacles in the car, ha!). So I took over and laid hands on the first ham I saw. 8.37 pounds. That thing is heavy! “Can you find a bigger one?” Mom requested. I continued and found one that was 7.8 pounds. Nope. A few hams later, I finally got my hands on one that weighed 10.030 pounds. Winner!
During life on the field, I developed an aversion to ham. Especially during our last month in Argentina. It’s what we could afford on our food budget. During a 25 hour bus ride from Bariloche to Buenas Aires, the meals served consisted of ham pieces with a side of ham and cheese sandwich along with a ham and cheese empanada. I wish I was making this up but no.
When we got home from our Costco run, I continued to pack. My family and I are spending Christmas in the Philippines with my Dad’s side in the town I lived in until I was 9 years old. So excited! Only mom and I are traveling today, Alex will follow on the 23rd due to work and the rest of them, are already there. By the way, I’m using my 55-liter Osprey backpack (thanks, Brett!) that I used for the race for this 2-week trip. Mom was so impressed that my “necessities” only weighed 29 pounds. (A passenger is allowed two 50-pound luggage each). She filled up one of my luggage with food and such for the family. Not wanting to waste the 21 pounds unaccounted for, she suggested to add a 56 oz bag of peanut M&Ms, a giant bag of Twix and Snickers minis and the 10-pound ham we hunted. Mom’s luggage wasn’t any different; hers included a bag of pistachio nuts, a 17-pound frozen prime rib and boxes of graham crackers.
I was in San Jose for a day and half but every chance I got, I harped on my mom about how much stuff we were bringing with us. I spent my entire race trying to be a minimalist, packing only what I needed and could carry. “Just because there’s space doesn’t mean you have to fill it,” I explained. Oh, Mom. She’s been stressing out over things that I don’t believe matter. Who cares? We’re on vacation! Also, we cannot possible condense “America” in our luggages. I had to let it go otherwise, the stress would then transfer over to me. No, thank you.
As we stood in line to get checked in, mom’s face was still covered in worry and anxiety. 3 out of 4 luggages were a kilo overweight each. The airline is strict about luggage weight limits. The last time she travelled, she had to leave behind certain items and didn’t want the same thing to happen this time. “Mom, we have the favor of the Lord. What are you worried about?” I asked her. Shortly after, she shared a story of what it was like living in the Philippines when Filipinos who lived in America came to visit. “I know how they feel…I just want people from back home to get a small taste of what we have here.” Oh, Mom. She’s so generous. “We’re so blessed that we want to bless others,” she continued. My goodness, I felt so small. Living on a $5 a day food budget for 11 months, I still ate like a princess. Sometimes, we were blessed with generous and loving people who would feed us without asking anything in return.
Oh Jesus, how you love us.
I’ve been home in the United States since Thanksgiving and adjusting to life back into first world reality. In an hour and a half, I’ll be visiting my 13th country this year. The Lord is incredibly good! He blesses me especially when I don’t feel I deserve it and this bonus trip to where I came from is another evidence of His goodness.
Abba, let me find you during this sweet vacation. Amen.
If you’re reading this: thank you for reading. Some of you have been faithfully following my journey and I appreciate you. I pray that the next couple weeks, you enjoy your time with family and loved ones but also to remember, Jesus is the reason. Always.
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
P.S. Getting a glimpse of how mom packs, guess what my 15-pound carry on luggage consists of? Hint: bought from Costco. Comment below!
