Home, like many things in life, is something you don’t really appreciate until it’s gone. Truth be told, there are times I miss Roslyn, NY. Of course, I miss the aspects of home that everyone misses, like my family, home food, my own bathroom–but what I really reminisce about are the little pleasures of day-to-day life that are now gone. High school traditions, walking an extra mile in order to drop my friend home before walking to mine, taking the public bus to the mall–you name it. However, the one I’m reminded of today is particularly special.
My brother and I have a tradition. It all started on a freezing winter day five years ago. My mother, not wanting to go outside, asked me to go to the local H-Mart to get some strawberries and milk, and my brother, wanting to do anything but study, begged to come along. Ever since, we’ve made our walk to the local shopping complex a Friday night custom. Even though most of the time we don’t actually buy anything–and if we do, its candy–devoting time to just talk with my brother, breathe the crisp, Long Island air, and admire the cherry blossom trees along the sidewalk is one of the few pleasures I would indulge for my own happiness and self-satisfaction.
Over time, we’ve stepped up our game when it came to these quality walks. Our playlist of Bollywood music to listen to along the way was ready to go. A gym bag, equipped with water bottles, emergency cash, and extra room for that bag of Cheetos for the walk back, was specifically packed for this tradition. Over time, we started to extend the duration of our walks, taking longer routes to reach there or counting the number of white and black cars parked in the parking lot. If we really had time to kill, we would go to the park and watching the ducks swim while eating our coca-cola gummies in peace.
Once we reached home, after talking about topics ranging from what school was like that week to whether salt or pepper is more essential for survival, we would follow up with a movie–preferably a Disney one. Never mind the fact that we’ve watched Mulan 30 times already, never mind the fact that we’re watching Disney’s compilation of Christmas carols in July–we would still anticipate going home, popping in a CD, and lazing on the couch while watching something that was, well, a classic.
Thus, while I sit in my room, eating Chili Fried Rice from Noodle St. and typing this blog post, it’s those little, seemingly meaningless memories that come to mind, and after a tiring day of endless classes and studying, it’s these moments that bring a smile. And as for me right now, it’s time to fill that void and come up with some new traditions here.
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