We're already halfway through 2021 and we (meaning most of humankind) are in a much better place now than we were this time last year. Though we are not completely out of the woods yet with the pandemic, the fully vaccinated in the US are now able to do "normal" things like visit with people we love, eat in our favorite restaurants and get on flights, albeit with masks, sanitizers and just the right amount of squeamishness to keep us on alert.

This breathe of freedom that we hope is permanent, is not the only reason we celebrate this summer solstice month. There's Philippine Independence Day (June 12), Jose Rizal's birth anniversary (June 19), LGBT Pride (we expect those most awaited parades, cancelled last year, will resume this year) and Father's Day (June 20), which Positively Filipino will mark with a webinar on June 16 featuring famous fathers being honored by their children (much like how we honored mothers last month).

Best of all, we shall be bringing you travel stories -- some held back from last year -- that will hopefully transport you to places that can make you dream of traveling again. Here's one of them, a story that will set any biker's heart a-flutter: "Reflections of a Long-Distance Motorcyclist" by James Sobredo.

H. Arlo Nimmo may not be a familiar name for most Filipinos but this American writer/ethnographer wrote some of the most beautiful stories of Tawi-Tawi and Jolo, and the lives of the Badjao people with whom he lived during his research stint as a young man. Two of his books, The Songs of Salanda and A Very Far Place, are must-reads for those who dream of exotic isles in the Philippine archipelago. PF Correspondent Criselda Yabes pays tribute to this gentle man, her friend, who passed recently.

And here's another installment of Fil-Ams Among the Remarkable and Famous. This is already Part 20 and our publisher Mona Lisa Yuchengco's list continues. Just proves that Fil-Ams are making it big in this country.

To bookend the month of May, our Partner post comes from the Fil-Am Veterans Research Project as they honor some outstanding Filipino veterans.

There's nothing like a refreshing cocktail drink to welcome the warmth of June. How about savoring this recipe again from Elizabeth Ann Quirino. http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-happy-home-cook-mango-tango-cocktail-drink