family in baguio? yes please.

prior to moving to baguio - i would always tell everyone that, my family lives in manila, about 5 hours away. not bad - that family is from my mom's side, who i'm super close with. well, i emailed my dad the other day, to see if there's any catalan blood here in baguio city...he emails me back, copies like 5 other people on it, and turns out, i have family here!

so much so, that my dad's cousin, uncle armie (that's what i call him), lives less than a kilometer away from me! AND he helped design/build the oratory (chapel) at the main cathedral here in baguio, which is where i visit everyday! when i got here a couple of months ago, people were asking me, do you know "architect catalan" and i said no, cause i never thought i had family here! well turns out, that is him, and he is actually FRIENDS with my co-worker.

a bigger sitch, is that his wife, is also into social services and she is in the process of finalizing documentation for her own NGO as well. i asked her what she would be naming it, and she said, do you want to help me name it? um, YES. this is a complete God-sent!

so, knowing that i have this connection to me, like, dude, my heart is still beating with thanksgiving. the area of my passion? my goodness. God is good.

i found out, my great grandma was full spanish and turns out there's more catalan blood in pangasinan, where my great grandparents at one point owned the 3rd largest city there. so i will be visiting hopefully by early next year, to meet more Catalan family. it's pretty exciting! i'm learning that baguio city ain't that big of a place, and everyone seems to know everyone. i'm starting to see the same people everyday, like, even on the jeepneys, at different times. it's weird.

but alas, i have learned and realized - even though at one point i was in complete desolation and thought that God had abandoned me without family/friends/familiarity, turns out, well, i am just so affirmed that God had this planned all along. there is no other way, no other explanation. while i was screaming during our mini reunion yesterday, cause i was so excited, my uncle armie just said, "this isn't crazy. crystal, this was pre-destined! you are family, so i have responsibility for you now." such perfect timing. it always is.