July: Packing and Unpacking

July is nearly over and school is just about to start for us teachers. It’s funny. I think I did a lot of packing and unpacking this month than I’ve ever done. From unpacking my suitcases to packing my car full of boxes from my storage to slowly unpacking them in my classroom. Lots of sweat and tears this month.

I wrote a small glimpse about my ‘homecoming’ on my blog. There’s so much I want to unpack about this trip that I’ve decided to tell it in pieces. Do I want to do that because I don’t want the trip to truly end, even if I’m already stateside? Possibly. We spent two and a half weeks of visiting and trying to squeeze in thirty years of memories and catching up with family. To dump all that I want to say into one post seems sad; like a finality that I’m not quite ready for.

I already want to go back for more. More sunshine. More discovering of who my family was, where we truly began, and all the things that led to where we are now. I walked the streets of downtown with my family; cheered and clapped as each float came by during the town’s parade of lights. We learned about its history from the people who were around us.

📖 This Month's Writing

I wrote about my homecoming on my blog. In case you missed it: https://www.leilatualla.com/motherhood-in-the-in-between/blog-the-homecoming

✍️ Around My Desk

I wrote some poems while in the Philippines; mostly about what we’re packing (guilt) and what we declare (my home coming). I have an idea brewing about short stories about resilience, strength and who we become in the midst of a catastrophe. I’m still workshopping how that’ll look but I want to honor the people I spoke with. I want to write about Tacloban City.

📚 Currently Reading

I’m in my neighborhood’s book club and July’s book club pick is The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett.

Have you read it yet? Perhaps, I’ll share my thoughts on it next month. I’m two month’s behind my book club and just finished May’s pick, Midnight Library by Matt Haig. That was a great book and while I love the idea that there exists several lives that we can possibly have. Oddly enough, I don't want another life. I like this one. I am exactly where I’m supposed to be and I try to live where I don’t have any regrets.

🌱 Little Joys

I celebrated my 44th birthday on the 21st! My day began with a walk, followed by a lunch date with my husband and then a lovely dinner with my family. The next day, I went out with friends to catch up, drink, laugh and reminisce about our friendship; these are the original ladies that helped launch a book club almost a decade ago at my house.

Photos of the month

Here are three photos from Tacloban City, Leyte, Philippines. On one of our days, I talked my family into hiking up Calvary Hill - it overlooks Tacloban City. I took a photo of my family below, then tried to get as much of Tacloban as I could. The last photo are these umbrellas that I thought looked really cute and colorful. I took it as we were walking around the streets of Tacloban.

🤍 Before I Go...

This month has made me wonder what our real legacy is. I came to the Philippines thinking legacy might be land, heirlooms, or photographs.

I left realizing it’s the stories people tell about us.

Until next month...thank you for meeting me somewhere between here and home.

❤️
Leila