It’s been a little over a month since I’ve seen my family. But I have to say, these sparing trips back home make the visit much more worth it.

Arriving back home felt like a grand return. I stepped into a familiar setting where the dogs were impatiently waiting and barking to step out of their cage to greet me, chocolates and roses on the coffee table from my parent’s celebration of Valentine’s Day, and the sweet aroma of home-cooked food. But the best feeling of coming home was seeing the smile from my mother’s face and the excitement in her voice as she eagerly presented the dinner she had prepared for my return. In all it’s entirety, I know I didn’t deserve any of this. All I thought I was doing was coming home for a visit, but to my parents, this meant a lot. And I couldn’t have been anymore thankful for their love.

We exchanged conversation at the table, filled with Thai tea, corn soup, brown rice, and baked seasoned salmon stuffed with imitation crab and shrimp. It was a meal that I was definitely waiting for, especially since I haven’t eaten anything this good in a while. I finally explained to them my goal for the rest of my college career, and they were nothing but supportive of my decision. To finally hear such conviction in my voice as I told them my plans really excited them. All they really wanted from me was to be sure. They wanted to know that I wasn’t fickle-minded anymore. And I wanted to show them that I’m not just sailing through college anymore. They definitely have added that extra push in my ambitions.

What really surprised me was their reaction towards my plans about dancing. I didn’t expect to hear what they told me tonight. See this whole time I thought that they didn’t really support my dancing because they know that I tend to value it more than school. Before every quarter they would always tell me, “Anak, dancing is fine but when it comes to school, focus on that.” I guess I misinterpreted it into thinking that if I did horrible in school, they would blame dancing. But when I told them that I wasn’t sure where dance would fit in after this year, they were shocked. A typical reaction. But what they thought was that I was giving up dance for good. “..Anak, when you come home, you’ll still be dancing right? …Don’t stop, dancing is important! You still need time to relax and release stress..its good for your brain..” I just couldn’t believe what I heard. I was expecting them to bash on it, saying that it’s not a big deal or whatever and that it’s a good thing that I’m not dancing so that I can focus more on school. I guess it’s just nice to hear that they understand that dancing is something that is a huge part of my life.

This weekend was definitely needed. I’ve been running on empty lately, but I’m refueled and ready to carry on. I’m so thankful for the unconditional love and support that I have from my family. And now that I have given my words to them, I have to act on it. I have to prove to them that this is not all talk. No turning back now..