It’s been a while since my last post mainly because there hasn’t been much to write. You know when in TV comedies where someone asks “what have you been up to?” and the protagonist responds with a “Oh, I’ve been filling my days” but then it flashes to them playing with their hair, counting ceiling tiles, or just laying in bed watching crap TV? Well that has been me.

Now being lazy and bored is typically contrary to my nature, but for the past two weeks or so I’ve been battling a double whammy of sickness. First was the physical sickness. They call it “freshers flu” because everyone gets it the first week of school. Basically you have 16,000 students who have come from all over the green earth by way of germ infected airplanes, trains, and buses, only to meet together and swap airborne pathogens for a few days. Everyone’s immune systems go nuts, being completely unable to handle all these foreign pests. I came down with a particularly bad strain. At first I tried the “think happy thoughts and mentally convince yourself that you are not sick” approach but that only to lead to disaster. So did the “I’m feeling better today so I must be better” approach who’s bittersweet after effect traded 1 good day for 4 bad ones.

Besides that though, physical sickness had the nasty side effect of inducing homesickness. And homesickness I’ve learned seems to come in a few stages. The fist is you begin to miss the little things: Like peanut butter, or breakfast burritos, punk rock records, my wall of pictures, bubble baths, “your momma” jokes, my pet fish Mrs. Robinson, etc. In the next step you start to feel disconnected from those you know, it doesn’t seem like too terrible of a step but it is a springboard for what comes next and it’s a dusey. That’s because next you begin really missing people, and that one really gets to you. You miss the quirks of your family and your friends. Jon or Miles with their equally infectious laughs, teaming up with David to annoy our mom, Cristy’s bad puns. wasabi dares with Samantha, under your breath jokes with Derek and Jess, coffee with Krysta or pho with Amber, Gerard Butler lusting with Amy and Melissa, or just feeling more intelligent from the presence of Daniel and Devon, Beau and Carrie, Josh, or any number of my brainy buds. And then when you think there is nothing else to miss, the most peculiar thing happens: you begin to miss faces that you shouldn’t. Former friends who’ve parted ways, forgotten loves who heartache has erased.

Fortunately however my physical sickness went away and with that came a surge of energy and enthusiasm. That in turn became the cure for homesickness. I got that kick that I had been needing, and resolved to: get a job, make more friends, and make my house my home. Plans turned to action and at the height of this, a care package from home was delivered like war rations to the starving battlefield soldiers further strengthening my resolve. I was like I woke up from a two-week trance and was ready to live again. My internal monologue uttered something like: “Look out England, Brandon is back!” Cheesy as it may be, it is the truth. I’ll meet tomorrow with a smile, a new chance for adventure.