Dear Books for Pinoys Foundation, 

               Family and culture were values that were instilled onto me as a young boy. As the 2023 raffle 
winner for the getaway, I was able to celebrate both. Originally, I was going to go to the Philippines 
that year, but because of some bills I had to prioritize, I chose against going. It was heartbreaking 
because I told my extended family about my plans already. 2023 was also very busy with work. As 
one of the performers for the gala, along with my fellow dancers who I met in college during our 
time in Hoy! Pinoy!, scheduling days to practice was difficult and I personally decided after the gala, 
I would be done performing cultural dances. I started doing cultural dances in college and this 
performance would be a good place to "retire"; a fancy event and my girlfriend would finally see me 
perform at an event. I had to leave the night early, but once I was at the end of my drive, one of my 
friends gave me a call and told me I won the raffle for a getaway. Without my knowledge, a ticket for 
the raffle was under my name as a performer. I felt like my love for the culture rewarded me, so 
without hesitation I knew where I was going. 


             I waited over a year to use my prize, but I think the timing of when it happened was perfect 
as I was entering a new milestone in my life. Went the start of December so I could spend my 28th 
bday there. The trip was soul-quenching. I was offered some luxuries as part of the getaway like 
booking a room at fancy hotels, but I took this trip for family, so I decided to stay with family. As a 
1.5 gen FilAm, family was just limited to the household because the few extended family I did have 
in the states were spread out and varied in distance. Seeing the beauty of family from both sides 
was heartwarming. 

            My family made sure I was welcomed and taken care of. For example, they made sure I 
never had the chance feel hunger. The first hour there, I was fed with my favorite dish: kare-kare, 
and pancit sotanghon with fresh calamansi that which brought it to the next level. Other notable 
dishes was lechon baka, crispy pata(Judy Ann in Malabon is the best), pancit Malabon, kilawing 
kambing, and sisig. There was also this baked mac my cousin made that was also used for a food 
drive. Taking part in giving food to the less fortunate in the neighborhood highlighted the generosity 
of our culture, especially during Christmas season. 

           Other notable events were reuniting with an old childhood friend after more than 15 years, 
and I also got a tribal tattoo from there after wanting one since 8th grade. And to top it all off, the 
day before my flight the emotional rush of the whole trip had me buy an engagement ring. The travel 
itself was also very smooth and easy. The airline chosen was excellent. I am very grateful for making 
the whole ordeal of organizing my flights something not to worry about. 
The trip filled in all the checks on the bucket list and then some. I am eternally grateful for 
having the opportunity to go back to the motherland and celebrate my roots. A trip like this was 
exactly what my spirit was craving for years. 

With many thanks, 
Lorenzo Bartolome