Hellobee

After trick or treating on October 31, 2015, we headed straight to the airport for our flight from New York to the Philippines. At the time Olive had just turned 4, and Charlie was about to turn 6; now Olive is 10 and Charlie is turning 12 in December. Olive has spent 60% of her life in the Philippines, and Charlie has spent 50%. This is the childhood they will remember.

home sweet home

With our tourism-related business permanently closed due to the pandemic, we’re planning on moving back to the US to spend more time with my family. If it weren’t for wanting to be closer to family, I wouldn’t move back to the US at all; I’d move to a completely new country. Thinking about moving back to America is a bit terrifying to tell you the truth. I’m sure I’ll eventually settle into a busy American life again because I lived it for most of my life. But this simple island life that Charlie and Olive grew up with is all they know.

We used to pick wild mulberries in Brooklyn every summer in the city, and it’s one of my kids’ favorite memories. At the beginning of the pandemic we planted a bunch of mulberry trees and they’re already providing lots of fruit!

The pandemic life the world experienced for the past year and a half is similar to our regular life here — the kids spend most of their time at home with us and there are very few options for things to do. Living on a remote island, Charlie and Olive haven’t been exposed to social media, tv commercials, billboards, video games, and peer pressure because they’ve been homeschooled most of their time here. I love that they got to enjoy their childhood, without many of the stresses of the modern world. I think the greatest thing to come out of living on an island in the Philippines has been Charlie and Olive’s simple childhood spent immersed in abundant nature. They’ve had countless hours to daydream, read, draw, and explore their passions.

red okra. We grew many of the fruits and veggies we ate during the pandemic.

But will their sheltered childhood make it harder to assimilate back into American life? I worry about them starting public school, making friends, juggling a busy life that’s the opposite of what they know. In this era of growing up with cell phones and social media and constantly being connected, is it harder being a kid now than it was when we were kids? I’ve been gone from the US for so long, I have no idea. Some friends tell me it’s harder now with the internet; others tell me kids are more coddled and parents more involved now than in our generation.

I’m over worrying, as I tend to do, about things that are beyond my control. I’m probably also projecting because I hated high school, endured bullying, and wished homeschool had been an option for me. Luckily if public school doesn’t work out, I know that homeschool is an option for Charlie and Olive. They’ve both been thriving with their online homeschool. I love the flexibility it offers, and it keeps my dream of being able to move anywhere in the world some day alive.

Our beautiful night blooming cactus. Each flower only blooms once at night and then dies so it’s always a special sight to see a blooming flower and with a bee inside. 

Many things in our children’s lives are out of our control, but we can focus on instilling values and raising good little humans. We talk to them about everything — our childhoods, our passions, our life lessons, our regrets, our beliefs, our goals. We’ve spent so much time together the past six years, the kids are very closely bonded to us. We live in a small space where the kids still share a room, and since the pandemic started, we eat every meal together. We love hanging out as a family and I hope they always feel like they can talk to us about anything. I’m grateful for our time here because my kids have turned out ok.

What is school and life like for your American child nowadays?

Our muscovy ducks Peanut and Cashew

roselle flowers (in the hibiscus family) that we use to make iced tea

orchids thrive here

our three chamber compost bin

our hen house with outdoor roaming area

the kids’ bunk bed with Wolfie the kitten, a recent rescue, in the top bunk

we never run out of coconut from our trees

calamansi from our trees

I never would have made my own kimchi if we were in the US. I never would have cooked a fraction of as much as I do in the Philippines if we were in the US. 

avocado harvest from one tree

our beach loving rescue dogs