coming home

ever since I was little I have been coming home from long trips abroad. my aunt lives in the Caribbean, so my sister and I were shipped off every summer to spend time with our cousins. like summer camp, we would look forward to the trip and pack and write letters home. now, I choose to spend my time traveling the world, instead of making a living or being productive in any main stream sense of the word.

it’s the first time in a long time that I’m looking forward to going home. it’s not that I miss my parents or my sister at an unusual level. after all, thanks to skype and email I talk to them every week. but I’m anticipating the familiar moments when I first get home.

getting picked up at the airport. finding my bags on the baggage carousel and calling from the payphone. trying to get to the right exit door, and finally seeing the car pull up. the big fat airport hug. the occasional tear, and the rush to exit the loading zone to quiet the honking cars behind us.

the long talk on the ride home about my trip. the new jersey turnpike, the pollution, my renewed feeling of disappointment in my home state. seeing exit 131 and leaving the parkway. turning up the short cut street. almost home! the moments my heart sinks as I notice yet another new development going up in my home town.

the steep incline of the car as we pull up the driveway. seeing my dog run to me – I forgot about you! I say to myself. lugging the suitcase through the house to my room, knowing that it will stay in the corner of my room for at least a couple weeks.

the nice dinner out with my sister, her boyfriend and my parents. and the passing out of presents. the retelling of my adventures over dinner, and the updates on gossip from home over dessert.

the calling up of my friends who still live in new jersey and the get together at our local bar.

my sister pressuring me to hang out all the time, and my general malaise and desire to do nothing but catch up on sleep and missed TV.

not this time, though. I think this home coming may be a little different than the usual ones. this time I’m actually missing home. this time I won’t be needing of a rest – I’ve been doing a lot of sitting on my ass here in songyuan.

though like most of the other returns home as of late, this time too, I will be home only for a short while before my next adventure begins. this time I won’t be going too far away. I’ll be off to boston, a mere four hour drive from home. going to graduate school, and I am really looking forward to it.