Reunion

I was back in the airport innit! But this time I was there for a different reason. I was there to welcome Erika to Australia. :)

Erika is one of my bestfriends and we met each other in university. We were attached to the hip back then. Most of the memories that I have of uni have her in them... hanging out at each other's houses, coffee at our local Starbucks, basketball games, training sessions at the gym, cramming assignments, cutting classes, Saturday nights out, shopping, movies, strolling along Katipunan Avenue and trying every restaurant in the stretch a million times over, crying over boys, laughing at anything and everything... it is impossible to name them all. We have come a long way since then. Our friendship has lived through moving around three different continents and has been nurtured by phone calls, online chats and occasional visits that never seem to be enough to catch up properly on each other's lives. This visit in particular is very special. We usually either catch up in Manila or in Singapore where she's based. But this time she's actually the one visiting me innit! I am so excited to show her my life here and introduce her to people and places that have become very special to me over the years. I cannot wait for her to see for herself why Australia has earned the name "home".

Erika got held up at customs so I was waiting by the arrival gates for over an hour (lol so you didn't make me late after all :p). I didn't really expect to get much from that hour but I must admit that it was one of the highlights of my week. I saw loads of people who were there for the same reason as I was. We were all waiting in anticipation to get reunited with our loved ones. I noticed a pattern in people's behaviours... keeping whatever bit of personal space that they can claim early in the morning, distracting themselves from getting bored and then lighting up at the sound of footsteps and trolleys to check if it's their loved ones coming through the doors. And if it is indeed the person they're waiting for, the most genuine of expressions are witnessed by all... and then the hugs and kisses in between chatter follow. It was too early in the morning to get emotional but I had no choice as I was moved. And I felt very blessed to have been their waiting for a reunion of my own.

People have different stories of being away from loved ones... different places, different scenarios, different lengths of time spent apart... but at the end of the day, the outpouring of emotions will be equally special for anyone who's seeing a loved one for the first time in a long time. And whether it's getting reunited for good or getting reunited for a short period of time, that moment of coming together will be pure and priceless regardless... it's as real as real can get.

I leave you with my favourite quote from Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist... It's something that I've shared with you in the past but it's been ringing in my head throughout writing you this postcard...

If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return...





2nd photo by Ricky