By: Arabella
As we boarded our flight, I pictured how Hong Kong would look after all these years. How our house would look, how my friends would appear, and how it would feel to live on land and in a home that isn’t constantly moving. I pictured and imagined so much, but what I saw and felt when we finally arrived was beyond everything I had dreamed about.
As we walked out of the airplane, I looked around and recognized everything. From the airport to the big buildings, it felt like I never left. Excitement built up, and soon enough, I was rushing people into a cab so we could get back home and explore.
As we were driving in the taxi, I looked around to see skyscrapers reaching up to touch the clouds. Thousands and thousands of people were walking below, unbothered by the intimidating and terrifying structures surrounding them. It may just be that I’m not used to all these tall buildings anymore, but they look scarier and more fascinating than ever. As we crossed the bridge, I couldn’t help but stare at the ocean and boats below me and feel a part of me there.
Arriving at our street and then at our house, I felt nerves and excitement coursing through my veins. I walked in and immediately started running up and down stairs, exploring the house as if I’d never been in it before. Wow. It looked just as I remembered it, from the kitchen up to the bedrooms. But for some reason, it didn’t feel like I imagined it would. I thought that once I arrived, it would just feel right, but for some reason, it feels like I’m staying in a friend’s house rather than my own—it was familiar but not quite like home.
I made plans to see some of my friends whom I haven’t seen in almost 3 years! We went swimming together and talked a whole bunch about what they’ve been doing and what it is like to be living on a boat. Seeing them and catching up was so memorable and special to me because i know these friendships will be lifelong, and keeping these wonderful, kind, and remarkable people will be among the most important things ever.
One thing I had been looking forward to ever since I heard about going to Hong Kong was the food! To be honest, I probably missed the food more than anything else there. From the mouthwatering and fragrant dim sum to the flavorful and juicy yellow chicken, food was all I could dream about for days on end. I asked to have dim sum for lunch, and everybody backed me up on this. We ordered with our eyes and definitely not with our stomachs because we ended up bringing back many boxes packed to the brim with authentic and delicious Hong Kong food.
At the end of our trip to Hong Kong, it was time to say goodbye to everybody, including my little sister Azania and my mom. My mom had to stay because of her hip surgery, and Azania was there to keep her company. While I was packing my bags, I never thought about how hard it was going to be to leave two people I love so immensely. Putting our luggage into the car, I couldn’t help but cry so hard that my tears looked like a flowing waterfall. I hugged them both and tried not to sob even more when I saw Azania trying to run towards me while our car was driving away. This may have been one of the hardest things I have ever done in a very long time.
Even though I loved spending time in Hong Kong, being on the boat just feels right. I loved seeing my friends and family, but I just couldn’t spend another second off the boat. The boat is my home. It may not be a house or an apartment, but it is a home. I am so excited to go back and continue meeting new people, discovering new places, and enjoying this amazing adventure we are having around the world.