Homecomings

In three months time, I am coming home.

In three months time, I imagine my beaming self with boxes of documents, books, and some personal office stuff in tow. I am coming home and will be taking a backseat for a while. And when new projects come my way at the right time, I will be rolling up my sleeves again.

It amuses me every time somebody relates to me as if I am putting my career in complete jeopardy with the recent pronouncements I have made. Believe me people, I AM fine.

But of course by emphasizing that, I also know that you all the more think I’m not.

Now my dilemma lies in not knowing how to tell you that I am completely happy with my decision to leave and start all over again. I cannot explain the kind of happiness contained in thoughts of packing my bags away from a discipline I have known for seven years, giving up a good salary and a manageable schedule just to surf the world. This is my reality – very much different from yours, I suppose. And I entirely understand where you’re coming from.

On the other hand, I am also not sure if it is my obligation to respond, “Really, I feel fine” after you give me that look connoting utter panic because I am going to be jobless soon. Hey, I really appreciate the concern. You need to understand, however, that I’ve been studying since I was three and now that I am about to complete a quarter of my life, I am looking forward to start a new set of adventures, to develop new skills, to learn from new mistakes, to adjust to new structures and cultures, to meet new people and to reassess personal convictions.

For the record, I am not burned out. And I think quitting because you’re burned out is an indication of failure to reflect on a daily basis. I am ending my adventure in the academe for now because I am curious about the understated-overstated real world. I am coming home.

On a lighter note, something else has come home, too.

 

Meet, hmmm, I haven’t given it a name yet. Anyway, since it‘s a newbie to my shoebox pile, I decided to render it a grand entrance. Then I overheard this conversation between Mama and Kuya on my new flip flops…

Loi: Nadungagan napud ang mga box sa sapatos. Basig muabot na to sa kisame, Ma!

Mama: Sige na lang gud, pasalamat ka gamay ra na nga box. Dili sanina.

Loi: Aw, tama ra pud no. Hapit na baya gyud ko magpanday ug bag-ong cabinet para sa iya.