A few weeks ago my siblings and I fulfilled our father’s longtime wish to travel back to the Dominican Republic with his three children, something we hadn’t done together in 20 years. One of my reasons for staying away as long as I did was the fact that I spent practically every childhood summer visiting the same village. I wanted to see the world and it wasn’t going to happen if I kept returning to the same places, I’d say.

But once there, I remembered all those little innocent escapades I had as a child, the smells, the tastes, dirtying my pretty dress at my godfather’s farm. In all the branching out I’d done over the years, I failed to recognize just how much I’d missed my roots.

The trip was too short. Trips that mean so much usually are. But we filled those five days with laughter and stories that made me realize just how important it is to stay connected to family. So this time, instead of acting as if goodbyes are just words you say casually, I listened, I made eye-contact, I didn’t wipe my cheek after their wet kisses, I said, “You mean a lot to me.” And when I hugged my older aunts and uncles farewell I wanted so badly to cling to those moments because I didn’t want to ever forget.

To read more about my special trip to the Dominican Republic click here.

I’m Dorkys Ramos, a NYC-based freelance writer, blogger, and stationery designer for my company Porcupine Hugs. I get giddy over pretty paper, doodling out new ideas, and pairing them with insightful words.

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