One Whole Year

One year back, to this very hour, I was probably hung in midair somewhere over the Atlantic.
12 hours later, I found myself wide-eyed in a foreign looking quaint little airport - not so much an airport than a little homey aviation museum.
My first flight was to Frankfurt, the second flight landed at Chicago, and the third flight, which was more like a bus with huge metal wings, would be the last one I would have flown in for about a year, was significant in so many ways. After over 18 hours of flying and over 24 hours of traveling over all, I was impatient to get home, or something I would call home for the next 9 months.
Even when I was sitting in that last flight, with my head pressed against the window - I already felt relieved, hopeful and situated. I felt like I was actually going somewhere with all the chaos that I had been through the past couple of months. It felt like it would all pay off now.

I am not sure if it did, but I can attempt to go over the developments.

1. I had an academically successful year, overall
2. I have a well paying job. Yeah, it's on campus - federal law does not allow us international students to work outside of campus.
3. I finally have a room of my own! Yes, that is significant enough to be mentioned here.
4. I am about to graduate is a few months.


And that is where I would like to stop recapitulating.
I have mixed feelings about this day. At some level it feels like a significant one, one that I will remember every year. However, mostly it's just another day - a casual Sunday, where my computer is shot, (I think the hard drive bailed on me, that annoying little wretch!!), my stomach aches from all the spicy food, my laundry basket is dangerously close to overflowing and I am in a very conspicuous need of a haircut.

I wish I had something more meaningful going on. But I don't.



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