![ParadiseIsland23.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmcqowQBCdn7BmaE91qhpA5H6PNadFBXXfBehrXdfu6SKh/ParadiseIsland23.jpg) *At [Paradise Island](https://www.paradiseislanddavao.com/) with my wife and her younger brother (mid-2014)*

**FORWARD:** This post was initially written on February 8th, 2015 but I am now uploading it to the Steem blockchain via @engrave on [ChrisRice.blog](https://ChrisRice.blog). My main website is now [ChrisRice.xyz](https://ChrisRice.xyz).

March of 2015 will mark the 5 year wedding anniversary that I share with my wife. It will also be my 6th year in the Philippines starting in August of this year. The longer I stay, the deeper I think. I usually think about how I would envision my future before and the beautiful things I ended up experiencing. I am sure I am not the only one who thinks more deeply as time goes by. I don't think it has as much to do with moving to the Philippines as it has to do with getting older. That leads me to point out that humans are constantly thinking since there are so many thoughts that travel in a person's mind. One of the things I think about is patterns. I notice patterns in my life that happen over and over again. Some of them are positive and some of them are negative. A specific pattern that has happened in my life more than once is starting a new life. I started a new life when I was adopted into a foster family and I started a new life when I left my foster family and friends to join the military in 2002. I also started a new life in 2009 when I moved to the Philippines. The important thing for me is breaking the old patterns and continuing the cycles that benefit me and the people I love. I am okay with moving around and changing my country of residence, but I don't want to let time and distance divide me from people who helped me and encouraged me to grow. It's a noble concept but in a world where everyone's busy and travel isn't cheap, it isn't always achieved. I however have confidence that if I start now I can slowly reconnect with everyone in my past and bring together the bits and pieces of my 'pasts' and unite them with my present.

![Family17.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmb1qqDitbQPiCJFdhhASahrntNy3crnqCddgYAomyxQcY/Family17.jpg) *At the fishpond in Davao City w/my wife and her dad (December of 2014)*.

![Family3.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTb2cJaEGAptTfQHcFSDUUBUQDeT3hBytUmzd4J8DXU3J/Family3.jpg) *At another park in Davao City w/my wife, her brother & mom (November of 2014)*

![Family13.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmenW6xTM5g2GUSXJdassaGQ9JTiQce5snWc7U2Y4ZGT5W/Family13.jpg) *Next to my wife and her brother + cousin (4th quarter of 2014)*

![Familypic.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmTm5DcdfWJ6ZoM6S7VGsuWLRH4Eixwkxypf8wBKRvhCwV/Familypic.jpg) *Eating w/my wife, her brother and two of her cousins (October of 2014)*

![ChrisAlexTian.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmNnx6Tx9x2qEAmbyAuWKyYHi3Da5oYZFKvvEw4uhsxiqi/ChrisAlexTian.jpg) *Meetup w/friends we met from YouTube (September of 2014)*

![Youtubefriends4.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmVPF8XW5Puo4pXUX3U3s8P91AyNjJmLHohG3cFDaKuSQM/Youtubefriends4.jpg) *Meetup w/more friends we met from YouTube (4th quarter of 2014)*

![Dennis2.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmeVEkLbo73Pi2F24psmPZfeGFz1ZbXYyaXsKzRr3hNFZ6/Dennis2.jpg) *Meetup with friends from YouTube again (January of 2015)*

![IMG_4966.JPG](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmXk8acdYFYeqN1d8wPVYvoLPGFrMBh9gszhS3QSMebNcP/IMG_4966.JPG) *Meetup w/our friend Vengie (4th quarter of 2014)*

![Chris Emafe and Zac Rice.jpg](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmWcG7boWds4Egs3rRkFFZNFHdjGipveajberNzuyogthZ/Chris%20Emafe%20and%20Zac%20Rice.jpg)
*You can see the life that I live in the Philippines at [Emafe.com](http://emafe.com), meet me at [Steem.ph](http://steem.ph), or discuss philosophy with me at [Humanist.xyz](http://humanist.xyz).*
*~ @chrisrice* *** ^{Originally posted on [Chris Rice | Blog](http://chrisrice.blog/present). Steem blog powered by [ENGRAVE](https://engrave.website).}