September 3 – 8, 2019. Leaving Manila wasn’t such a big deal at first. Separation didn’t get real until I saw my parents off at the Paris airport last Tuesday. Oh my heart when I saw them holding off tears. Spent the next hour on my commute to my new ‘apartment’ holding back my own. I made my way from the airport all the way to Surenes to settle down at my new place. It was my first long city commute and I’m proud to have figured out how to get from north-east of Paris to west via public transportation on my own.
It was, and still is, an overwhelming feeling, as I’ve never lived away from my family and home. The thought that there’s no turning back–as I would be 10,000 kilometers away from the familiarity and comfort of family and friends–was daunting. Should I encounter any problem, I’d have to figure everything out on my own.