running home

You know you're homesick when you're listening to Christmas songs in early September, and you get sentimental when the sad ones start to play.
Or when you start yearning for the rain to come, when you cursed it as it left you stranded so many times before today.

You know you're homesick when you dream about going to the beach every so often, that you feel like you're already starting to get a tan.
Or when you stir up an appetite when you think of different kinds of foodstuff, like fishballs & kikiam, dinuguan & puto, and banana-q & ginataan.

You know you're homesick when you smile at all the seemingly familiar faces you pass, hoping they would smile back at their kabayan in return.
Or when you realize that you want to go visit Ilocos, Iloilo and Zamboanga, and finally understand Ilokano, Ilonggo and Chabacano or at least try to learn.

You know you're homesick when you think about how your pet dog seemed so sad when you left, and you wonder if and hope she'll still be there when you get back.
Or when you sing one of your favorite songs with all your heart, and suddenly find halfway through that your voice is starting to crack.

You know you're homesick when you buy every other product that comes from home, even those that you didn't even bother to notice before.
Or when you talk with your brother in Austria longer than you ever used to, and find that you still want to talk to him some more.

You know you're homesick when you think about going out with your new friends, and imagine where you would go if you were back home with them instead.
Or when you can hear your dad telling you to do your chores, to study hard and all the other things you used to ignore that he said.

You know you're homesick when you hoard a few dozen bottles of SMB, even though they would cost you more than thrice as much as they do back home.
Or when you imagine that your mom is there in the morning telling you to wake up, even though when you open your eyes you're all alone.

You know you're homesick when you count down the days 'til you come back home, and plan any and every last little thing that you want to do.
And then you find that the only reason why all of this missing home stuff really matters, is because you have that someone that you've always been wanting to go home to...