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# From Taro Roots to Jack-o’-Lanterns: Finding My Place in Fall
- URL: https://www.aralinworld.com/from-taro-roots-to-jack-o-lanterns-finding-my-place-in-fall/
- Published: 2025-10-28T17:07:48.000Z
- Updated: 2025-10-28T17:17:00.000Z
- Description: I never understood Fall—until the day I dug up my first taro harvest in America. Nine years in, and I’m still learning what it means to belong to a season, a tradition, and a place that wasn’t always mine. Maybe you’ve felt that way too.
- Author: Albine Bodo
- Tags: Newsletter, Your Teacher, Filipino Diaspora

Nine years in the United States, and I still find myself surprised by the little things.

I grew up in the Philippines, where October meant *semestral breaks*—no school, family visits, and the kind of warmth that had nothing to do with the weather. When I first moved here, Fall was just… pretty. 

The leaves changed, the air got crisper, and everyone around me seemed to love it. But I didn’t *get* it. Not really. I’d tell my husband, *"It’s nice, but it doesn’t feel like mine."*

Then, this year, something shifted.

Bruce and I planted **gabi (taro)** last summer. Yesterday, we dug up the roots, saved the leaves, and stems. Our first real harvest. 

Holding that taro, I finally understood: *This is what Fall is about.* It’s about gathering what you’ve grown, celebrating abundance, and preparing for what comes next. And for the first time, I thought, *"Okay, maybe I see why pumpkins matter so much here."*

### **The Slow Work of Belonging**

I’m Albine. I left the Philippines years ago, chasing dreams and a life beyond what I knew. The first few years were hard—adjusting to the cold, missing home, figuring out how to build something new while holding onto the old. Some days, I still feel like a student in a culture I’m only beginning to understand.

But that’s the thing about living in a new place: *You don’t have to love everything right away*. Some traditions take time. Some never fully click ... and that’s okay.

Fall, for me, used to be just a season. Now? It’s starting to feel like a story I’m slowly becoming part of. 

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### **What About You?**

I’d love to know: **What’s a tradition—from your heritage or where you live now—that took you a while to appreciate?** Or maybe one you still don’t quite connect with?

(And if you’ve ever grown taro—or pumpkins, or anything else—tell me how it went. I’m still learning.)

— Albine