I am home

I've flown to the east-coast, to the place that I call my first home. Where I was born and raised, where I got my education, where I got my first job, where my parents resides, where most of my friends & family are and where I spent and experienced most of my formative life (25+ years).

The last time I was here was about 8-months ago (September 2023).

I will be only here for about a week and will be flying out to Milan, Italy to celebrate friends' partnership & love, and as one would call it, the ceremonial wedding.

While I am here in my old stomping grounds, I have a few administrative-chores to handle prior to flying out: haircut, figure the outfit/fitting, and international driving permit (IDP). I've already gotten the IDP, which you can only get via American Automobile Association (AAA) for a $20.00 fee. Fairly simple and straight-forward, you complete the 1-page application, bring your US Driver's License and are required to bring in two 2" by 2" photos printed (this can not be your license nor Passport which I found baffling tbh). If you don't have the two photos, they can take it there but at a ridiculous surcharge of $8.00 per photo, so $16.00 total. A whole monopoly and a scam in itself, but we digress.

Other than that with my limited time here, I will be enjoying my walks throughout the city - parks, downtown, neighborhood - to see for myself what has changed since my last visitation, what new businesses have opened, the continuous changes and developments, and prioritize visiting and spending time with parents & selective friends.

This place I call my first home, I love it genuinely and wholeheartedly. These were my roots, it created me and shaped who I am - but I am not tied down nor defined by it. Grateful and appreciate to have been here for the first half of my life and I am ready to begin my second half of this journey.