an ocean apart
nearly a dozen years ago, i packed and repacked a suitcase and hiking backpack. these were the days of no surcharges on an extra piece of luggage, or at least, i don’t remember paying any fees at the counter. these were also the days when loved ones could accompany you through security without a boarding pass. they could sit with you at the gate two hours before your overnight international flight, fighting back tears, making idle conversation.
i remember feeling anxious and excited. nervous and thrilled. bewildered yet confident. the truth is, i had no idea what to expect. i had no intention of studying abroad. i was biding time before graduation or else i was set to graduate a semester early. the classes i enrolled in were basics; my schedule accommodated a four-day weekend every week. despite a lackadaisical attitude toward school itself, i learned a boatload.
and i wouldn’t trade any of my experiences and memories for anything.
i wish my sister the best of luck on her new journey. i would love to hop on a plane and have sisterly antics overseas, but right now, it’s not in the cards. besides, this is her adventure. i can live vicariously through her twitters and blog posts and skype calls. and i can relive my own moments of breathlessness and wide-eyed amazement as she tells her own tales of being an ocean away.