The last day of twenty twenty-two.

People make travel vlogs, here I am with a travel poem. Can you see that I love to rhyme?

tl;dr: This was my first holiday season, away from home (I rush back halfway across the world at every chance I get), and I wanted to do something new (drive around aimlessly, alone). I have this thing, that if you want to start a new year resolution, you must do it at least by new year’s eve so that by the time January 1st comes around. you would have been doing it for at least a year (mind game 101). Anywho, I drove around- felt good, went into a coffee shop alone - felt awkward, watched a movie, and rang the new year in, comfortably from my apartment building’s terrace, with fireworks around Atlanta’s foggy skyline - felt pretty darn great.

ps: s/o to my mum for letting me know that the sun is masculine, who knew, really?

My alarm keeps ringing, but it's still dark outside. My mind waits for the winter sun to rise, and my heart questions driving around, all alone, is it really wise?
It's the last day of twenty twenty-two, where am I gonna go, I don't really have a clue.

I pack up my bag, a banana, water and a map, close my eyes, and into a spiral, I snap.
It's the first time away from home on this day, I miss home, the food, the people, but most importantly the bay.
I pick up a road, and drive down, as I pass, towns and cities, shrubs and trees, birds and bees, cows free on barricaded farms, deer captive on the highway as roadkills they swarm.

As I drive away from the city, the murky winter settles in, there's fog all around me, the visibility it kills.
But my soul, on the other hand, clears up. I overthink a lot you see, I speak to my mind, have conversations with her on ends that you wouldn't believe.

But for the first time in what seems forever, I talk loudly, my thoughts, my fears, only to realize I wouldn't speak with anyone like this, whether they are my foes or my peers.

I land up in a town, with a river flowing by its side. I'm transported back home where the sea stretches far and wide.
Where every NYE was spent driving along the coast, ushering the midnight with strangers across the road and with ice cream we toast.

I enter a coffee shop and glance at the menu, nothing seems familiar, not the place, not the people, and neither does the brew. People look at me differently, as they stand in groups of two. I feel out of place, is an understatement, I call home, pick up my drink and into the car, I race.

I start driving again back home, but take a long detour, instead of the fast-moving interstate, I find a road that drives through the old pastures, with more green than I can illustrate.

On these roads, I am lone, except when I see an old man check his mail, a couple of dogs running and wagging their tails, a church in beautiful ruin, and an airstrip with planes on standby, ready to take off at their cue-in.

But I knew they wouldn't, the weather isn't ideal. It is foggy, cloudy, rainy, gloomy, and dreary, words that could describe my past year for real. But lo and behold, what is this I see, the sun peaks mid-drive, is that the blue sky?

Suddenly, the black clouds fade away, it's glossy first, humid next, and soon the sun shoots his rays. The weather has taken a turn 180, from the louring damsel in distress, she comes out as confident as the busy bee. It's summer again, my mind tells me, no network, only four downloaded songs, played and sung with my lungs out, on repeat.

As I pull into my driveway, the sky turned blue, then pink, with shades of yellow, orange and gay. It is the most beautiful sunset, and here I may exaggerate, but in this moment, couldn't think of a better view, to watch the year culminate.

It was the last day of twenty twenty-two, and I decided to do something new. Maybe it wasn't wise, driving 300 miles, but I ended the year with more love, and gratitude than this heart could hold, into the new year, hoping a new habit will mould.