En route to YVR

Almost at the end of a 12hour flight, and slowly approaching the coast of Canada from the Pacific. It’s the first time for me to fly from Hong Kong to Vancouver, and on the way the plane actually flew over Taiwan. I was fast asleep at the time, exhausted from the day, and from walking around and planespotting at Hong Kong International Airport for almost two hours because I didn’t want to be sitting for too long before the long flight ahead.

It has been a turbulent flight, with here and there extremely bumpy bits along the way. Originally I booked myself an aisle seat, so I could stretch my legs easier, and get up to use the bathroom if I need to without needing to disturb anyone. But there was a family, a dad and his two small children, barely 8 years old, who were separated by some oversight during check-in, so I offered to switch seats with the dad. Besides having water spilled on me, and not being able to really sleep long or well enough, it has been an alright flight.

Once or twice, my mind drifted to mum, drifted to thoughts and dark images of death and pain... It felt relatively easy to leave home and to say goodbye to mum, but perhaps as the distance between us grows, the more difficult it becomes. Or, at least, it just feels that way. Maybe I have not completely let go yet, for part of me fears I may have to return to mum if the next test results are bleak. But really, the only thing I can do is to see how things turn out, and deal with situations as they arise. In the meantime, I must try to work as hard as I can to accomplish my goal of completing my thesis within the next two months.

Almost in Canada… the thought fills me with a sense of freshness and excitement, and a sense of joy of returning to a place where I feel at home. As planned, my friend has arranged to fly all the way to the West Coast in order to greet me at the airport, and we are spending a few days together to bond after so many weeks apart.

I look forward to seeing him again, and to spending time together, alone. Yet, at the same time, I’m a bit apprehensive too about staying around the Vancouver area for four days. Sure, I’m going to see my relatives, and do a bit of sightseeing, but to be honest, I really just want to be back home, back in my own little space in Montreal, especially having been ‘on the road’ for almost two months. I’m not sure how to describe that feeling, because it is not as if I’ve been living out of the suitcase while I was at home with mum. But sometimes after being away from home too long, it feels comfortable, safe just to be surrounded by familiar and personal items.

Almost in Canada again… it’s been two months since I left. Much snow has fallen, much change must have taken place. It will take some getting used to to return, but I  am glad I have come back.