Why Not?

I was having lunch with a co-worker when suddenly, he asked me 'Don't you miss home?' And without batting an eyelash, I gave him a straight answer -- 'No.'

In furnez, napaisip ako. Ganon? Hindi ba talaga ako naho-homesick? Teka, wait lang. Kelangan ba ako ma-bother? Bato na ba ako? Kelangan ba ako matakot?

So I took a step back (step!) and thought about the past few weeks I've been here and how I've been.

Eto ang aking na-gather na data.

Exhibit A. Aside from the fact that it took me only 3 days to adjust and my first weekend here was allotted to an 8hr-long drive to Chicago, mukha ngang rooted na ako. Well, at least for now. I guess it helps a great deal that this isn't the first time I have to work away from home...and I mean far, far away from home.

Exhibit B. Last weekend, I just went about doing my usual chores - magluto ng 3 putahe para ibaon for the whole week, maglaba, mamamalantsa at i-explore ang mga channels sa TV. As I was listing down my favorite channels, I thought...this isn't so bad. I am actually enjoying this. Weird. Awesome!

Exhibit C. Last Friday, videoke at inuman galore 'til 3am. Nice. Now this really feels like home...

Exhibit D. The occasional beeps from my fone. Messages from mom and my sis. Chat sessions with friends back home. Calls from friends and family here in the US. Friendster messages from Orange County. Conference calls from Manila, US, Prague and Singapore Evaughl Chapters. Actually, riot. Masaya. The world has become so small that I can reach out to people I love in just a matter of seconds. I honestly don't feel out of reach at all! Tama ang Smart. Simply amazing!

So, kelangan ba ako malungkot at ma-homesick? Maybe it's too soon to say. Pero kahit papano napapaisip din ako. Hindi kaya nasanay na ako sa buhay rito sa Amerika? What if I just don't know it but I'm actually already liking it here? Ewan. Isa akong malaking ewan personified. I think I may have come to love what I have now and live in the NOW. Maybe the secret lies in just loving what you have, but never forgetting what you had back then. I still miss what I had back home but for now, this is home. And that's actually a blessing. A great blessing.

Ano bang mood ko ngayon? Excited? Thrilled? Wala lang? All I know for sure is I find comfort in the certainty that I will go back someday. You see, change is always good. And life has been good. And I know it'll just get better.

Heck! I could be having fun and I don't even know it! So here I am, just living the life, standing by my two powerful words as my mantra...

Why not? :)