Sojourner

Yet another jam-packed day. Went to church in the morning, followed by a farewell lunch for Peter, who's going off to Brisbane on exchange for a semester. A bunch of us then trooped over to the old cinema in Clementi (which has now been converted into a pool parlour) and played pool for about 3 hours. Went home for a bowl of soup and was off again to the airport to say byebye to Peter. Have just come home. Phew!

Being at the airport certainly brought back memories and I realised, for the first time, the anxiety a parent must feel when his/her child goes overseas to study. There I was, watching Peter walk through the departure gates and imagining what his parents (who weren't present) must be feeling. It was the wow-my-boy's-alone-in-the-big-bad-world-I-hope-nothing-bad-happens-to-him as well as the sigh-my-boy's-all-grown-up-now feeling. Naturally, old memories of me flying off also came pouring back. I remember the first time I left for Perth. My friends said their goodbyes and I walked through the gates towards the immigration counter. When I turned around, they were gone! My heart totally sank. Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw them walking back. Silly melons... :)

I love the excitement of getting on a plane to go somewhere but I hate getting on a plane to go home. The only time I was relieved to get on a plane to go back was after my Melbourne/Sydney trip (which was rather nightmarish but turned out ok in the end). I was so relieved to get on the plane and go home to Perth. Perth gives me a comforting feeling. I've always wondered why I never pushed harder to get a PR, why I never tried, especially since I love the city so much. I've come to realise that while I do love the place that will always be my second home, it's not where God has called me to. And much as I dislike living in Singapore, I feel a pull towards it and it's definitely not a voluntary pull. There's a reason that I'm in Singapore and there's work to be done, both in me and through me. And you don't argue with the Big Guy :)

So, as I watched yet another fortunate soul cross the line into utopia, I smiled fondly at the opportunity I had and the incredible experiences that have shaped me and contributed a part to the Melissa that is today. Australia will never really be home but neither will Singapore. Never has it been more clear that I'm just a sojourner.

And boy, am I glad for that.