I Remember…

With 10 minutes on the clock, we were asked to list down memories of ours. Eventually, our memories were filtered to be about places, then be about one of those places mentioned. Upon realization, it dawned on me that the memories I listed down were ones of nostalgia, of a remembrance of someone no longer with me, and generally were memories I would store at the back of my head and would like to forget once in a while.

I remember the smell of my Lolo’s shirt.

I remember my first day of high school.

I remember hitting my coach’s hand during my first tennis lesson as a child.

I remember stepping on my kindergarten teacher’s feet on purpose.

I remember being bullied.

I remember trying to hug my dad tightly in my sleep the night before he had to leave.

I remember the first time I got to see my little sister for the first time.

I remember my first kiss.

I remember my first breakup.

I remember being in love.

I remember falling asleep in church on my Lola’s shoulder.

I remember pretending to be asleep in the car just to be carried inside the house.

I remember sitting on my dad’s lap as he drove.

I remember giving my cousin a bath.

I remember getting my first pet.

I remember having to call my dad on Skype.

I remember having to dial the internet.

I remember not having any friends.

I remember the night I found out my Lolo died.

I remember the night before I woke up to the news of my Lola passing away.

I remember the calls my Lolo would make regarding the stock market.

I remember texting my Lolo about how my day went.

I remember sitting in my grandparents’ room and watching Dianna Durbin movies with them.

I remember watching Phantom of the Opera for the first time and being scared to walk to my room.

I remember watching my grandparents’ tennis matches.

I remember finding a bee on my backpack and it staying there for a long time.

I remember winning a tennis match by acing my opponent.

I remember burning my hand on the stove.

I remember getting my design chosen to be made into a mural at my school.

I remember the nerves I had when I was about to do my first official pitch.

I remember the matches I played during regionals where it always turned into a tiebreaker/third set.

I remember the nights my best friend and I would park our car and just have dance sessions.

I remember skipping winter formal with my best friend and driving up to Sunset Mesa and having a dance party in my car.

I remember going home after winter formal. It was snowing, and I drove by my ex-boyfriend’s car and cleaned the snow off his car because he was out of town.

I remember the face my ex-boyfriend made the moment he saw me for homecoming.

I remember my reaction when I received my acceptance to Parsons.

I remember my first time in NY and saying NYU was my dream school.

I remember wanting to be a lawyer.

 

I remember getting lost in my brother’s school in the PH.

I remember going to Shopwise and being greeted by the workers.

I remember my house in the Philippines.

I remember the day I left the Philippines to migrate.

I remember going to Baguio nearly every year when I still lived in the Philippines.

I remember my first trip out of the Philippines– Singapore.

I remember going on a West Coast trip with my grandparents.

I remember going to a 4D attraction in Universal Studios.

I remember the Universal Studios Studio Tour.

I remember my Lolo getting caught in the doors of a train in Singapore.

I remember the trips we made to the hospital while my Lola was sick.

I remember I was at a study group in Starbucks and suddenly felt sick in the stomach.

I remember going to the USAFA to visit my best friend.

I remember going on my first roadtrip with friends.

I remember cuddling with him in bed and waking up to just to make pancakes.

I remember my last few days in Colorado.

I remember my last time being in my high school.

 

I remember being in Starbucks when my Lolo passed away.

I remember having a deep talk with Kendrick when we were supposed to be studying Math.

I remember seeing my ex-boyfriend seated with who is now his girlfriend.

I remember studying for the AP Physics exam hours before the actual exam at Starbucks.

I remember going to Starbucks the moment I got out of school and always staying till closing.

I remember the times I bumped into my friends at Starbucks without knowing they’d be there.

I remember James giving our study group free food.

I remember Mark offering me a Venti Iced Peach Green Tea lemonade for the price of a Grande.

I remember going to Starbucks just to earn reward points.