Old, grumpy-looking guards turning into smiling, singing grandpas playing with Auli as we passed through security;

The sound of Auli’s gibberish carrying to the back of the train;

That iconic blur of the outside world, viewed from the train window, something out of a movie;

Objecting furiously—but objecting together, as a team, me-and-him vs. train—at the way the train made our ears pop over and over and over again;

Playmates, four pairs of arms that gave ours a reprieve and a chance at a peaceful train ride;

The sound of the whole family padding and scuttling and stomping around the apartment;

Late-night ramen run, peppered with her stories of her city;

Hide and seek ‘round a pillar in yet another Airbnb;

Fellow Filipinos—strangers—waving and smiling from down the street;

Surprise hugs, fingers interlaced, arms swinging in rhythm;

“You’re funny in English, too… but for smart-enough people”