The Return

I guess on some levels, you can call it closure.

This return visit to the US, returning to New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles has been unexpectedly stress-free, save for the minor ego scrapes in cars, trains and restaurants.

I've been telling friends here that all 3 cities don't seem to awe me as much as they did when I first visited years ago. Sure, you can say that the intervening years of increased travel has given me a higher level of comfort with the unfamiliar.

Or the fact that the world is indeed smaller, thanks to Skype, Instant Messaging, the Blackberry, and whatever else that's just round the corner to make the distance between me and you almost negligible.

I guess I'm better able to frame new experiences in the context of the bigger journey that I'm on, this intangible collection of experiences and expressions that refine and define me.

And it was good to see Stephen after our goodbye in KL in June. I'm not sure if I'll ever truly recover from the rollercoaster ride that I would not wish on my worst enemy. Have I become stronger and better for it? Has the heartbreak been worth it? Why am I not able to cut all ties? Is this love or something more insidious disguised as a feeling that I crave and value?

I remain open to all answers that come my way. For now, all I want is to be able to sleep on this flight back to KL.