I remember a few years back I was so joyous to have in hand the multiple US student visa from American Embassy here. I was in a state of euphoria and could not sleep for two whole weeks at a go from sheer excitement. Finally the day came when I was to make that trip. I went by British Airways to London and from there to Houston and finally to Dallas where my siblings who stay there gave me a warm welcome reception and treated me like a VIP person. All along the journey I had to walk such long distances at airports which made me weary and dog tired at the end but I grasped every moment beautifully and preserved it in my memory. Definitely the aiports were large, wide-spaced, neat and sparkling with a huge number of exit gates to flights here and there. And on the airplanes, there were movies to watch with head phones, and I relished all the meals they served. At times I was not even hungry and skipped meals. It was my first trip to US and that also I was making by myself only.
My sisters, along with their close friends, helped me to reach my apartment that I had taken ownership of online back when I was in the country and my little sister got the keys to the apartment after I had given her authority to get them in the housing office. I couldn’t wait to see my apartment. On the way to the university, my sister pointed out the great big companies in Dallas, including the places where her company shifted and above all, where “Dallas” film shooting took place, a great house in the midst of ever expanding green lawn. It was indeed awesome!!
Here I was at the apartment simply inspecting in my mind’s eye in awe. How can it be so beautiful? There was a small kitchen, two closets, and living and bedroom with an attached bathroom. The living and bedrooms were all carpeted. With a fresh round of energy and vigor, I accepted my living place, ready to start my academic life.
Soon classes started and were all gone by the wind and fall break began. I took the opportunity to pay a visit to my home country. I had actually gone for doctoral studies abroad and although I was not completely happy with all my grades, I was pleased I made it at the end of a year. Now I was flying back home on my second trip and as I mentioned when the destination arrives everything seems normal and yet it is the journey while you are making that you get all the thrill, elation and excitement.
About a month’s stay at home roaming about among relatives and friends, I also had the previlege of eating good homemade cooked meals everyday of my vacation which made my 128 lbs weight shoot up a little. I was making my trip back soon but somehow I could not control the tears that flooded my eyes at the airport here where my mom had accompanied me to see me off. The reason was simply that it had been a hard year abroad and I wasn’t sure I will make it through, still having a minimum of three years more to go. I still made the trip and decided to be cheerful, ready to face the challenges. Alas, a few months later, I fell terribly ill and a cloud of homesickness overshadowed me. I could not bear it anymore and called it quits and journeyed back home happily, joining my work from which I was on study leave