A Filipina American, rediscovering home.
Travel stories, photography and personal essays from someone learning her own roots one story at a time.
Hi, I’m Brianna! I’m a travel photographer and storyteller creating photography-driven travel guides focused on culture, food and the place my family calls home.
I'm a Filipina American, born in the Bay Area and raised on the East Coast in Maryland — shaped by two cultures from the start. I took my first trip to the Philippines at three, and travel became a constant through my teens and twenties. From summers in California to exploring Italy, Spain, Greece and Germany. Somewhere around 19 or 20, that turned into a real desire to live abroad — a dream that stuck around for over a decade, even as the destination kept changing.
This year, it finally became possible. My parents had retired in Iloilo about a year before, my twin sister moved into a new chapter of her own, and I found myself in a season of life that didn't feel like mine anymore. The timing lined up. In January, I flew to Iloilo with my parents to trade my life in the States for a completely different one.
"Even though I'm Filipina, I've spent most of my life on the outside looking in — and I think that's actually a perspective worth sharing, not a gap to hide."
Rediscovering my roots has looked like meeting almost my entire family on my mom's side — she's one of eleven — and learning about both sets of my grandparents through stories my relatives tell me, which I've started writing down as essays. It's looked like relearning the foods I grew up eating, made the real way: shrimp sinigang, chicken and pork adobo, ube halaya made from scratch with real ube root, not the frozen kind I grew up on in the States.
I know there are Filipino creators who were born here, speak Tagalog or their native dialect fluently, and can offer a true local's perspective. That's not my story. I'm embracing the part of my identity I never got to fully explore, living on the same land where my mom grew up, and trying to tell stories and take photos that honor where I come from.
My work here feels different now than the vacation photos I used to take on trips home. Knowing this is my family's home province, and being here for an extended stretch, pushes me to look for more than the best beaches — though I still love that too. I'm paying closer attention to local life and customs I never experienced growing up, and learning, in real time, what it means to move through the world as a diaspora Filipina.
My travel story really started in Florence, where I studied abroad in my early twenties. It was the first time I saw travel as something I could build a life around, not just something I did on breaks. That feeling followed me through my twenties. Chasing new places, new stories, new versions of who I could be somewhere else. It just took a while, and the right timing, to realize the place I most needed to explore was the one my own family came from.
HOW IT STARTED
I believe travel is meant to be felt deeply, not rushed through or reduced to a checklist. You find meaning in the food you try, the conversations you have and the simple, in-between moments. These days, that philosophy plays out most in Iloilo — in slower mornings, longer conversations, and paying attention to the parts of a place that don't make it into a highlight reel.
MY TRAVEL PHILOSOPHY
YOU’LL FEEL RIGHT AT HOME HERE IF YOU…
are looking for artistic, photography-driven travel inspiration
want travel guides that show you how a place feels, not just what to see
value culture, food and meaningful local experiences
are drawn to slow travel and intentional living
enjoy romanticizing not only your trips but also your everyday life
explore destinations through a creative lens with inspiring imagery
discover culture and food experiences beyond typical travel guides
curate travel experiences that feel personal, meaningful and intentional
MY CONTENT HELPS YOU:
Even when I'm not traveling, I'm drawn to creating and recording the beauty of everyday life. From baking to art projects, I believe that romanticizing our daily routines can be just as meaningful as romanticizing our travels.
BEYOND TRAVEL
I'm currently based in Iloilo, Philippines — my family's home province, and the place I now call home. I create travel photography and written content covering the Philippines, along with past work from Italy, Spain, Greece and the U.S. I'm open to collaborations with brands, tourism boards and publications interested in thoughtful, story-driven travel content. Get in touch here.
WORK & COLLABORATIONS
LET’S EXPLORE MORE INTENTIONALLY
Thanks for being here while I figure out what it means to come home to a place I'm still getting to know. Follow along as I write, photograph and explore.
