I don’t think that I’ve ever felt like I’ve had a home, so that fact that I’m here now and feel that this apartment is home, after 9 months of being away, is big. Last night, at 10:50 p.m., I received a message in the midst of hotel quarantine hell, from the authority to pack my bags, to ready myself for home quarantine. It was an unexpected blessing after the terrible time at the hospital that brought up so much trauma, less than 24 hours after landing. Dengue again, for the second time, and the flu, in conjunction.
I ran silly. I gushed during my grad school class online. They've followed my movements over the last 9 months and couldn't have been happier for me. I reread the affirmations left on my fridge from one year ago and loved remembering exactly where I was. I can’t wait for my roommate, Kailey, to be home, I can't wait to share my new self with her. I've made it a point to be extra kind to the world, and it just feels so good.
I don’t think I’ve ever been so SEEN at a job, and I feel ever-so-grateful to be taken care of and looked after by the people at any of my companies, and right now I’m open to all of expression and what life has to offer me, even though I'm scared shitless. Vietnam has changed me, and China has given me a sense of renewal. I can't wait for what's next, even while holding all of my anxiety.
Thank you for the welcome back.
