The 19th of May
It has been a year, and somethin' somethin' days....Fine, it's been a year and 20 days, since I left New Zealand, and it feels weird. I told kuya and mum about it, and kuya said, "Naiyak ka?", I answered, "Hindi, nagdadrama lang", hahaha.
Celebrating different occasions back here would draw me back to remembering how I celebrated them in New Zealand. My birthday for example. I celebrated my 18th birthday in Tongariro Crossing, hiking. The area where "Mount Doom" is located, does this ring a bell to our LOTR fans? Yes, it was where Frodo had to sacrifice the ring. No, it wasn't called Mt. Doom for real. But that's where it was. Woohoo, my debut in the mountains, that was quite memorable actually. While I was hiking the devil stair case, I started thinking about what the girls my age would be doing at this time... They'd be getting ready for their big night, getting all pampered and made up, and here I was climbing my butt off, haha. But I did see snow for the first time. All my classmates were so excited for me, but they said that there's a better type snow, but I was like, "Who cares? It's snow! haha". It was just like a patch though. But whatever, on my 18th birthday, I saw snow for the first time :p
Christmas in NZ made me miss Christmas at home. Well, during Christmas Eve was when I got home sick. I couldn't take it. Everything was just so quiet. I really missed my family. Staying with Dean (the Bible school chef) was so much fun though, and his two little girls were just so adorable. I'm not usually very fond of children, but Dean's girls were wonderful, so well-behaved, and very responsive. There were 4 of us -me, Morgan, Kayleigh, and Kat who stayed with Dean and his family during Christmas. And oh man, did we eat a lot! We were "required" to make our own Christmas decoration to hang in their Christmas tree. I made them a small star that said, "Maligayang Pasko", and a Philippine flag at the back. Christmas at Dean's was wonderful. When I spent my Christmas back here last '08, I had fun, but I began thinking what Dean and his family would be doing this time.
Last May 19th, 2008. I woke up at 4am to get ready to leave the school. Katie, Caitlyn, and Miranda goes inside my room to give me breakfast. I was freezing, it was winter time, the same season when I first arrived. They sneak in some juice from Dean's kitchen to give me something to drink, and they give me toast. After eating, they gave a casual goodbye. A hug, but I think they've cleared in their head that they didn't want to cry, so that was fine. My roommate Kathleen wakes up, and gives me a hug, so does Megan and Becky.
Dre comes into my room waiting for me. She's just there, she knows we'll be saying goodbye soon, but not yet. I go out, and I see Kayleigh, she gives me a hug...a long hug, and we start crying. I am hugging my fellow returning-student, we've been together since last semester, and here we are...saying goodbye. As I walk out, half of the students got out of their rooms to give me a hug, and bid me goodbye. I could all smell their morning breath, which means that they all really just got out of bed. We're all just waiting for Craig (bible school's gardener) to come, he was going to drive me to the airport.
I give away some key chains from the Philippines, we all laugh a bit, and take a few photos. it all feels so heavy, but there's really nothing we could do. Craig arrives, and we all walk to the car. Only Will, Morgan, and Verity (who are also returning students) are the only ones who get inside the car...The others all not allowed to go to the airport with me. Hayden (one of the staff) wouldn't let me, so I had to only get three students. Dre comes to me, we hug, and she says, "I love you", I say I love her too.
I get in, and I tell them, "You better email me you ding dongs! haha", then we close the door. The car heads to the driveway. I look at the back, and I see the guys running after our car....Like in Mona Lisa Smile when Julia Roberts leaves. I felt like her for a moment, haha.... I start crying again.
The ride going to the airport was a bit quiet. I didn't really sleep. This was the last time I was going to be in NZ, I didn't want to sleep. I'd talk to Craig and Will who are in the front seat. I hold on to Verity and Morgan who are in the back seat with me. It was about a 2 hour car ride. I see the airport.... I see the airport.
They help me with my bags. Craig says my hand carry is crazy heavy. We do all the airport stuff. I get a bit nervous, coz this was the first time I was going to travel alone. After checking in my bag. We head to McDonalds' to have a little breakfast. We kill some time there. Then it was time for me to go to my gate.
We all give an awkward/scared laugh. Craig puts on his sun glasses, he knows that I know that he's about to cry. I give Morgan a hug, and cry...she crys too. Then Will, called him a ding dong for one last time. I look at him, and his eyes are red, but he's fighting it. I go to Verity, and she whispers,. "You're my favorite roommate", haha. We've told each other that, and she cries too. I give Craig a hug, and he hugs me back. I walk to my gate. It hurts so much, I look back at them. And here is what I did....
I drop my bags, and run back to them, it was so hard! Morgan tells me that she's proud of me for doing that. I hug them all again, and this time I just keep crying and crying. I go inside my gate now. The guard gets my ticket, and he gives me a friendly smile. I had to pull myself together, I had to go to my gate. I tell myself to sulk later, so i just keep walking. this is what my family's been warning me about, that I might be so heart broken that I might not be able to think. I put on my sun glasses to stop calling attention.
I eventually find my gate. It was hard. It's so hard to think when you're hurting inside...From New Zealand, I went to Australia. I spent my 3 hour plane ride to Aussie crying, there were only a few of us inside the plane. I arrive in Sydney. As I went to my next gate in Sydney Airport, I see a whole bunch of Filipinos....Yap, this is the gate, haha, that was quite funny. 9 hours to go, then I'm home.
Don't get me wrong, I love being home now. But I really miss Capernrway, and I think I'll always will. I miss the people. I miss my roommates. It felt so weird being alone in a room again, and not having to share the bathroom, or someone to just talk to, until you're falling asleep. There are a lot more things to bring up and reminisce, but I might end up crying, hahaha.
Yes, it has been a year and somethin' somethin' days since I have been home.
Celebrating different occasions back here would draw me back to remembering how I celebrated them in New Zealand. My birthday for example. I celebrated my 18th birthday in Tongariro Crossing, hiking. The area where "Mount Doom" is located, does this ring a bell to our LOTR fans? Yes, it was where Frodo had to sacrifice the ring. No, it wasn't called Mt. Doom for real. But that's where it was. Woohoo, my debut in the mountains, that was quite memorable actually. While I was hiking the devil stair case, I started thinking about what the girls my age would be doing at this time... They'd be getting ready for their big night, getting all pampered and made up, and here I was climbing my butt off, haha. But I did see snow for the first time. All my classmates were so excited for me, but they said that there's a better type snow, but I was like, "Who cares? It's snow! haha". It was just like a patch though. But whatever, on my 18th birthday, I saw snow for the first time :p
Christmas in NZ made me miss Christmas at home. Well, during Christmas Eve was when I got home sick. I couldn't take it. Everything was just so quiet. I really missed my family. Staying with Dean (the Bible school chef) was so much fun though, and his two little girls were just so adorable. I'm not usually very fond of children, but Dean's girls were wonderful, so well-behaved, and very responsive. There were 4 of us -me, Morgan, Kayleigh, and Kat who stayed with Dean and his family during Christmas. And oh man, did we eat a lot! We were "required" to make our own Christmas decoration to hang in their Christmas tree. I made them a small star that said, "Maligayang Pasko", and a Philippine flag at the back. Christmas at Dean's was wonderful. When I spent my Christmas back here last '08, I had fun, but I began thinking what Dean and his family would be doing this time.
Last May 19th, 2008. I woke up at 4am to get ready to leave the school. Katie, Caitlyn, and Miranda goes inside my room to give me breakfast. I was freezing, it was winter time, the same season when I first arrived. They sneak in some juice from Dean's kitchen to give me something to drink, and they give me toast. After eating, they gave a casual goodbye. A hug, but I think they've cleared in their head that they didn't want to cry, so that was fine. My roommate Kathleen wakes up, and gives me a hug, so does Megan and Becky.
Dre comes into my room waiting for me. She's just there, she knows we'll be saying goodbye soon, but not yet. I go out, and I see Kayleigh, she gives me a hug...a long hug, and we start crying. I am hugging my fellow returning-student, we've been together since last semester, and here we are...saying goodbye. As I walk out, half of the students got out of their rooms to give me a hug, and bid me goodbye. I could all smell their morning breath, which means that they all really just got out of bed. We're all just waiting for Craig (bible school's gardener) to come, he was going to drive me to the airport.
I give away some key chains from the Philippines, we all laugh a bit, and take a few photos. it all feels so heavy, but there's really nothing we could do. Craig arrives, and we all walk to the car. Only Will, Morgan, and Verity (who are also returning students) are the only ones who get inside the car...The others all not allowed to go to the airport with me. Hayden (one of the staff) wouldn't let me, so I had to only get three students. Dre comes to me, we hug, and she says, "I love you", I say I love her too.
I get in, and I tell them, "You better email me you ding dongs! haha", then we close the door. The car heads to the driveway. I look at the back, and I see the guys running after our car....Like in Mona Lisa Smile when Julia Roberts leaves. I felt like her for a moment, haha.... I start crying again.
The ride going to the airport was a bit quiet. I didn't really sleep. This was the last time I was going to be in NZ, I didn't want to sleep. I'd talk to Craig and Will who are in the front seat. I hold on to Verity and Morgan who are in the back seat with me. It was about a 2 hour car ride. I see the airport.... I see the airport.
They help me with my bags. Craig says my hand carry is crazy heavy. We do all the airport stuff. I get a bit nervous, coz this was the first time I was going to travel alone. After checking in my bag. We head to McDonalds' to have a little breakfast. We kill some time there. Then it was time for me to go to my gate.
We all give an awkward/scared laugh. Craig puts on his sun glasses, he knows that I know that he's about to cry. I give Morgan a hug, and cry...she crys too. Then Will, called him a ding dong for one last time. I look at him, and his eyes are red, but he's fighting it. I go to Verity, and she whispers,. "You're my favorite roommate", haha. We've told each other that, and she cries too. I give Craig a hug, and he hugs me back. I walk to my gate. It hurts so much, I look back at them. And here is what I did....
I drop my bags, and run back to them, it was so hard! Morgan tells me that she's proud of me for doing that. I hug them all again, and this time I just keep crying and crying. I go inside my gate now. The guard gets my ticket, and he gives me a friendly smile. I had to pull myself together, I had to go to my gate. I tell myself to sulk later, so i just keep walking. this is what my family's been warning me about, that I might be so heart broken that I might not be able to think. I put on my sun glasses to stop calling attention.
I eventually find my gate. It was hard. It's so hard to think when you're hurting inside...From New Zealand, I went to Australia. I spent my 3 hour plane ride to Aussie crying, there were only a few of us inside the plane. I arrive in Sydney. As I went to my next gate in Sydney Airport, I see a whole bunch of Filipinos....Yap, this is the gate, haha, that was quite funny. 9 hours to go, then I'm home.
Don't get me wrong, I love being home now. But I really miss Capernrway, and I think I'll always will. I miss the people. I miss my roommates. It felt so weird being alone in a room again, and not having to share the bathroom, or someone to just talk to, until you're falling asleep. There are a lot more things to bring up and reminisce, but I might end up crying, hahaha.
Yes, it has been a year and somethin' somethin' days since I have been home.