Home and Away

Aging and growing up implies a lot of things. I’ve hoped to mature a little. Take on more responsibility. Work towards accomplishing dreams and aspirations. Work towards a desirable future. Coming home has helped me to realize that I’ve moved towards all of those things. I’m glad that I’ve had the support structure of my family and friends to help me accomplish those things. Coming home has also shown me that I’ve grown beyond my roots. It’s shown me that though Dover, Pa was a good place to grow up, it’s not somewhere I could live. I want to see the world. I want to be surrounded by people who challenge me intellectually. I want to have the resources at my fingertips that will allow me to become the cosmopolitan man I desire to become. This realization by no means discredits my past. Dover, Pa is a good place for those who don’t want to be around foreigners. It’s perfect for those who would like to have a yard, raise a family in a peaceful and quite neighborhood. It’s a place where you don’t pay $15 for a martini. ($5 at Westgate Lounger, for all those interested; and that’s top shelf.)

Being at home has also helped me realize that even though I’m off to see every inch of the planet I can, I’m a product of small town America. Regardless of where I find myself I’ll always love picnics with friends a family, frozen dairy products, good music, and a cold beer (and people with SERIOUS mullets.

My two weeks at home have passed and I’ve had a great time. It was awesome to get to see my mother. I laugh with no one on the planet like I laugh with my mother. It’s nice when you don’t have to watch what you say or care what is socially acceptable. You can just sit back, relax, and have fun. It was a joy to see my family, as well. My grandparents are exactly what I want them to be: doting, interested, and loving. I had a fantastic familial going away party, right down to the cake with bugs and snakes smattered all over it. Aside from family time, I got the chance to hang out with some friends who played an integral role in my teenage Tom Foolery. People like Jason, Billy, Justin, and Nikole. To be quite honest, it was a lot like hanging out with my family: no filter, nothing but love, and people who genuinely take an interest in you and what you’re doing; and vice versa. It was great to catch up. It was also reassuring to know that those whom I chose to befriend in high school maintained the same personality traits that drew us together so many years ago. We fell right into our same routines, Billy and I go back and forth intellectually, while also making fun of those around us, Jason and I talked about kickin’ ass and takin’ names, Nikki and I maintained our same flirtatious manners, and Justin and I laughed and competed at everything we could find.

I now feel that i can take on everything in front of me now that i've revisited everything that's behind me.

By the time this is posted, I’ll be in Africa.

A bientot mes amis…