Through muddy roads and distant fields, we traveled to offer comfort and share in a family's grief🌾🤍

Good day, hivefam💛! I hope everyone had a wonderful day. I'm here to share our trip to Baroy, Lanao del Norte. It was not originally meant to be an adventure or a simple countryside escape. We traveled there for the lamay (wake) of my aunt's father who passed away🤍🕊️.

The journey was long because it was five municipalities away from ours and their home was located far from the national highway. Our hilux traveled deeper into the countryside but the road became more difficult to pass.

The paths were muddy, uneven, and difficult for a vehicle to drive into, especially after the rain. At some points, the mud was so deep that it almost swallowed the tires of our vehicle. We had to get off and and continue on foot.

Despite the muddy roads, I couldn't help but notice the quiet beauty surrounding us🌿. The wide green fields of rice paddies, tall coconut trees, peaceful farms, and the calm atmosphere of the province made the place feel so far away from the busy world. The fresh air was pure oxygen in my lungs.

The cows were so calm and they were eating grass as we passed by them.

It was a journey filled with mixed emotions for a family who had lost someone they loved, exhaustion from the long and difficult trip, and at the same time, admiration for the peaceful beauty we found along the way.

For that, I realized that sometimes we travel not because we are looking for an adventure, but because life calls us somewhere to be present, to offer comfort, and to stand beside the people we love during their most difficult moments🤍.

And along that muddy road in Baroy, surrounded by fields and coconut trees, I was reminded once again that life can be both heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time🌾🌴🤍. Thank for reading.