When I was living in the states, there were a lot of things I enjoyed about it.
I got to travel. I got to meet new people. I got to experience a different way of life.
But being away also made me appreciate home a whole lot more.
Of course, family was always number one.
But aside from family, there were three things I really missed about the Marianas:
The beach. The food. And the weather.
And let me tell you right now...
I was NOT about those cold winters.
1. The Beach
Growing up in the Marianas, the beach is just part of life.
You don’t always think about how special it is because it is right there.
You can finish work, grab the kids, head down to the water, jump off a pier, swim, fish, barbecue, or just sit there and watch the sunset.
When I was living stateside, I really started to miss that.
There is something about being close to the ocean that makes me feel like I am home.
Sometimes you do not realize how much something means to you until you do not have easy access to it anymore.
The ocean was definitely one of those things for me.
2. The Food
This one was huge.
Island food just hits different.
A plate of food is never only about the food.
It is the people around the table.
It is somebody cooking outside.
It is aunties and uncles talking story.
It is kids running around while everyone is eating.
It is someone telling you to grab another plate even though you already ate twice.
Food brings us together.
And when I was living away from home, sometimes all I wanted was something familiar.
A hot bowl of kadu.
Kelaguen.
Barbecue.
Chalakilis.
Whatever that food is for you, sometimes one bite can take you right back home.
That is one thing I love about our culture.
The kitchen and the table are places where memories are made.
3. The Weather
This one might be the easiest.
I am an island boy.
Cold winters were not for me.
At first, seeing snow can be cool.
Then you realize you have to live in it.
You have to scrape ice.
You have to put on layers just to walk outside.
The sun goes down early.
And after a while, I was sitting there thinking:
Man, give me the heat.
Give me slippers, shorts, sunshine, and island weather.
I will take sweaty over freezing any day.
That cold weather definitely made me mahalang for home.
Sometimes You Have to Leave to Appreciate Home
Being away taught me something.
There are so many things we get to experience every day in the Marianas that can become normal to us.
The ocean.
The weather.
The food.
The way people welcome you.
The way someone you barely know can make you feel like family.
When you live thousands of miles away, those little things start feeling very big.
That is also why I love events like Marianas Fest so much.
For our people living stateside, it gives everyone a chance to come together and feel a little bit of home again.
You hear the music.
You smell the food.
You see families together.
You hear Håfa Adai.
You run into somebody who knows somebody from your village.
And suddenly, even though you are thousands of miles from the islands, it does not feel quite as far away.
Home Is More Than a Place
For me, home will always be the Marianas.
It is the ocean.
It is the food.
It is the sunshine.
But more than anything, it is the feeling.
The family.
The hospitality.
The stories.
The way we take care of each other.
Being away from home helped me understand just how special those things really are.
So for everyone in the diaspora who feels mahalang sometimes, I understand.
And if you are back home in the Marianas, enjoy the little things.
Go to the beach.
Eat with your family.
Sit outside in the heat.
Those ordinary moments might be the exact things you miss the most one day.
And now I want to hear from you:
If you live away from the Marianas, what do you miss most about home?
The beach?
The food?
The weather?
Or something completely different?
Drop it in the comments and share your story.
Si Yu’us Ma’åse. Stay SHINARP.
— Frank “The Crank” Camacho