Homecoming

March 12, 2009 (Thursday) – one of my most heartfelt days.
It’s the day when I came back to UP Baguio. It’s the day when I came back home.
I’ve been to Baguio for a couple of times before but I’ve never visited the University of the Philippines since I left it 2 years ago. It means that I had 2 years of not seeing my classmates, two years of not seeing my friends.
The moment I woke up, I’ve never felt so much excited about anything. I fixed myself, took a bath, ate my breakfast, put my clothes on, and I was ready to go.
I rode a van. During the ride, I savored every memory I have left when I stayed in Baguio. After an hour and a half, UP was already within my sight. I got off the van. I walked towards my past. Every step that I took led me closer to my school, my classmates, my friends, my comfort zone, and my home. One by one, I stepped my feet. Each and every step felt like my feet have chains wound around them. Every step was heavy and was a burden to me. I told myself that those steps represented all the days from the day I left to the day I returned.
Inch by inch, I finally reached my destination. I saw my some friends and my university. I realized what changed, and still appreciated what remained. I smelled the trees and our Biology laboratories. I witnessed students walking to and from buildings and remembered that I was once like them. I remembered the times when I bought snacks from “Manang Mani” and “Manang Banana cue”. I remembered the moments when my friends and I sat on the lobby floor and killed the time by just talking and laughing about things. I remembered when we walked our way to SM City Baguio to amuse ourselves after a sanity-wrecking exam. I remembered when I walked in the rain under my umbrella while my shoes swept the splashing raindrops. I felt happy. I felt great. I felt calmness. I felt home, again.
I remembered the days when I walked in and out of the campus, strolling beside the famous symbol of the University of the Philippines – the Oblation. I also remembered when the weather gets unbearably chilly we’d embrace each other just to keep ourselves warm. I remembered how good these people are and I believe they’re still the same. I remembered those days of my stay.
Hours passed and I came back to reality. I cherished every minute of my homecoming. I embraced the moment when I get to experience my past the second time around.
I tried to deny it but my clock insisted that it was time for me to go. That’s when I started to think about a saying - “History repeats itself.” I proved that it is true. It is true that I’ll get to experience the things that happened before but one of the things that bothered me a lot was the fact that I would have to experience the aches of leaving for the second time and that I would have to turn my back on my home and say “Goodbye.”
Though it’s difficult, it’s still a journey that I’ll always remember.