Crossroads... The Countdown Begins.

Sis broke the news today about her coming departure to Australia. It's official. She and her husband are leaving in two months, and seeing their one-way tickets to Australia made me realize the true enormity of the situation, our separation that is. Mom is scheduled to follow a few months after that. This marks a complete psychic shift in me, and it triggered a sense that time is running out.

For the longest time, I was up in the air about my family's imminent migration to Australia, still wary whether it is the rightful path we should all take, and still unsure if all the processes would yield to what we were all yearning for. I've been busy juggling so many things; taking on responsibilities my late father had left us, my pursuit of higher education, living my personal life, and love in between all of that. The fact that I've been busy and everything remained a conundrum somewhat shielded me from the pain of the coming separation. I can't even begin to imagine a life without the people I love the most, and the whole situation is hard to absorb, even absurdly painful, but it's happening nonetheless.

I had my reasons for choosing to stay behind. Partly because our finances couldn't cover all the migration fees and the cost for everyone to start a new life all at once. I do have other reasons, bigger reasons actually. But I choose not to write it here because I feel it rightfully deserves to be written in a different post. For now, let's just say I wasn't ready to give EVERYTHING up.

Sis isn't just family bound by blood, shared genes, and striking resemblance. She's also my best friend, and the one who knows me inside out. Although she's younger, her insights is equivalent to a phalanx of psychologists combined. We've been through a lot together. And honestly I don't think I can get through all that without her. She has been there through all my stupidity and tear jerking episodes, comforting me with her sarcasms which at times get under my skin. She's the most grounded person I've ever known. Always crediting luck instead of savoring the accolades she got from First Grade to Graduation. And when my father died and so much financial uncertainty is in the air, she wrestled with the responsibility of taking care of it all, especially during my absence.

To show how thankful I am for everything, I'm giving her a sending-away present. I can't really decide between these two: a scrapbook I'm gonna make using her old and new pictures or Escada Sentiment - her favorite fragrance. Whatever it is that I choose, I hope she'll like it, and remind her that she is loved and will be greatly missed.