departure: doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore

It was on this very day last year when I stepped foot in Hong Kong. It was my first so my semblance of being a third-world kid gazing open-eyed at the marvel that is the Hong Kong International Airport is forgivable. I have been like that since I boarded the aircraft - taking pictures of the clouds and whatnots even when the attendants told the passengers not to use their mobile phones during the flight. I was half-expecting to see a gremlin on the wing of the plane (thanks to the Twilight Zone movie, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet for the fantastic memories).

Going back. Yes, the HKIA is really awesome. And big. And clean. Though I have to reserve judgment for Hong Kong itself. For the number of times I've been there, I have yet to say that I've had the chance to fully explore the islands. More so, enjoy my stay there.

Sure, I've managed to have a short tour of the infamous shopping area (wherein I bought this huge leather mailman's bag), drank iced tea at some local bar (I haven't consummated my relationship with beer that time) and ate a freaking duck at a restaurant aptly called Canteen. But I could've done all of those here in Manila.

The thing is, I wasn't entirely happy with my entourage. Let's call them that. Don't get me wrong, we're all pretty civil and to a certain degree, friendly. The self-induced tension was probably from the pending (now non-current) issues I've had back then. And if I were given the choice, I would have opted to stay in Manila than join them in Hong Kong.

We were asked to return on my birthday. Turned out that it would be one of the memorable birthdays I've had. And it wasn't memorable in a good way. The entire trip sucked so bad that it felt like one long Sunday. I've never felt more alone in my life.

Yes. It was all about who I'm with. Would it have been different if I were, say, with Jasmine Trio or Pinay or Mommy Len? I'd say yes. I bet it would have been better by miles.

I'm a sentimental person. And that Hong Kong trip was short of being a milestone in my 24-years of existence. I've had a lot of firsts on that occasion - first flight, first stay at a four-star hotel, first out-of-country travel, first time to eat at a foreign branch of McDonald's and first time to see my future partner (Aw. Cute sales person sitting near our area.).

Sadly, I wasn't able to spend it with the people who matters most to me. When I got back home from that first Hong Kong business trip, the first thing I did was to send a message to my closest friends that should we be able to go to Hong Kong as a group, I would consider it as my first. Things just weren't the same without them there.

Coincidentally, earlier I bid farewell to the Manila office once again. But this time, I highly believe that it's for good. It may not be a "first" for me but it still counts as an important personal event - it is my last day with the company which for eighteen months (my longest) I've considered as my comfort zone, my fourth home.

Today, I wanted to be surrounded by people who matters most to me. Or at least those whom I can feel that certain level of comfort - I've tried to find it among my colleagues and friends but alas I can't. They're great, excellent people by the way. And they're just probably busy and all to notice my departure.

And tonight, for consolation, I shall sleep thinking that they'll never miss their water until it's gone.

And I mean, really gone.