I've been writing food reviews with Yelp (I'm a Yelp Elite) and Google Maps for quite some time before Dad came to live with us. In December 2021, my mom passed away, and my husband and I asked Dad to live with us. We didn't want him to be lonely living in the Philippines. When he came over, we continued to go out to eat and had Dad join our food adventures. Some nights when my husband would have Bible study, Dad and I would have daddy/daughter date nights. Since my husband and I work from home, we have looked forward to taking Dad out for dinners each night. Some of Dad's favorites include raw oysters, shrimp tempura, Sari Sari Filipino Restaurant's kare kare (oxtail and vegetables) and Dashi Szechuan's whole tangy fish.
Last year, I started a Facebook page to post food reviews and was mainly sharing my reviews with the San Antonio Restaurant Facebook Group. When I started posting photos of food and Dad, many of the group members loved Dad's smile and would comment that they look forward to seeing him in my posts. Some have told me that they're reminded of their mom or dad who passed away and love that I'm sharing our food adventures with the group. Some of the comments include, "Hi, Dad!," "Love your smile!," and "You're living your best life." Dad has become quite the local celebrity from my posts; servers, restaurant owners and members of the San Antonio Restaurant Facebook Group recognize Dad when we go out. Dad remains humble and loves saying hello to all the folks and even taking photos with them.
Having Dad live with us has been a blessing. I really don't know how much time I still have with him just like I didn't know how much time I had with my mom. I just take advantage of the time we have and maximize each day. We will continue our food adventures as long as we can. With the reviews and posts that I do, it's not only to enjoy the time with Dad, but also to help the local businesses for more people to visit them. We will continue to visit and feature restaurants that have outdoor dining.
Dad joining us in this journey has drawn us closer to each other. It has also drawn Dad closer to the community here in San Antonio. Once people recognize Dad, we easily connect with each other all for the love of food. Not only is it a virtual connection but also a very personal connection in person.
Come follow our food adventures on Instagram @1blessedjourney or through the Facebook page: www.facebook.com/1blessedjourney.