I took a look from the place I was sitting in the center of this huge airplane to some of the open windows on both sides. I saw darkness outside once again–I last saw darkness outside when that same plane took off at Taipei. That darkness I saw then indicated that my 20 hours journey is about to conclude.That darkness would soon yield to beautiful city lights.

Suddenly, flight stewards began to hand out vertical cards and pens to every passenger. Then someone spoke over the PA system explaining in English what was going to happen and immediately in Mandarin (maybe it's in Cantonese or Hokkien, I have no idea which of the many Chinese dialects it was). I read the instructions found at that card, filled it out and put it in my passport, then set it inside my shoulder bag.

I sat back, put my headset back on and searched through the control found on the armrest. Maybe something on their radio system would make me feel good. Maybe some good music on the English station would relax me again! Maybe not, it would just make me fall asleep again. Ah, maybe they would show a good movie that would cheer me up.

And I'm right, something good came up on the screen! The airline decided to show that Hannah Montana movie, which I would later find out as a good stereotype of the place I'm going to. Yeah, it's that movie the Miley Cyrus did a few years before she went all insane and bonkers!

I want to tell y'all about that one song in the movie that just fits the explanation of what I felt that time: The Climb. Who wouldn't be moved by that song anyway? As I was saying, I felt many things, not just at that moment but the entire day.

For starters, I seem to have stepped outside reality. America? Maybe just in my dreams. Will it be like the movies or something? Maybe I should be happy that my family be in the same country for the first time in more than 10 months. Ah, I also miss all those people that I have interacted with for years–relatives, friends, classmates, teachers and even neighbors. When would I see them again? A lot of them had been sad to find out that we were moving overseas.

Oh, yes! How about that very last person I texted to bid good bye before I left Manila? What would she think of me? A good bye text is as bad as break-up text! Maybe she would understand why I need to do that through text. My mind is debating about the fact that I did not come totally clean about my feelings for her. I don't want to lose her friendship again over the simple fact that my boy hormones wanted me to think highly of her! Well, better figure it out Orland, don't let distance affect you! You promised her that you two will go places, maybe Europe. She doesn't know it, but you wanted to spend your life with her in the future! So better start to think straight dude!

But the one thing that came to my mind that day was what kind of life was waiting for my family here in Louisiana. Am I gonna love it in Louisiana? Will I see those things that I saw on those Hollywood movies? Apparently it will only take a day. It only will take a day to cross the Pacific Ocean via air travel. It will only take a day to say goodbye to places you are accustomed to and say hello to new places. It will only take a day to say farewell to the people dear to you and say hello to new people who you'll meet along the way. It will only take a day to begin your life anew.