missing packing.

my camping bag will again go on a trip after its 3-year hiatus.

my sister borrowed it for a 3 day post-graduation camping in Guimaras.

i just recently brought it home, after having been in storage in my friend's for close to 2 years, and dumped it in the corner with fingers crossed that i would one day find time to clean it and take it on tour again or keep it for good for my son to use later when he is old enough for camping.

i took pictures of my sister packing, missing it. i've done it for almost half my life. it was only then that i settled down and religiously went home/slept in the same place because somebody already needs me home.

at 13 i was sent away to study and lived in a boarding house with strangers form all across the island of Panay. from time to time we would have boarders from other islands in visayas but they didn't last because of the stringent house rules. the curfew is after all, 8:00 pm. but that was 15 years ago when at 7:00 pm, Iloilo City already gets ready to sleep and did not have a night life. i suppose they moved the curfew to 12 midnight now?

in my first year, i went home every week, usually on friday afternoon and go back on sunday afternoon. Every thursday night i would pack my laundry and other stuffs so i could head to the bus terminal right after class on friday. i used the tote bags my mother gave me in lieu of traveling bags. it was tacky and i envied college kids with nice traveling bags, where all their stuffs are kept safe inside with nice zippers and velcro. it would be several more years before i learned to pack light and used better bags. packing light wasn't the end to may packing adventure. i learned to pack better. i learned the miracle of zip locks and little containers. it was then i began majoring in packing. it was time to upgrade.

i saved a lot for that camping bag. i acquired it about 8 years ago after i moved back to iloilo from a short stay in Manila. UP Visayas-Miagao is closed to Mt. Napulak. It's our campus' backdrop. and it was beautiful to my "city-saturated" eyes.

in march of 2005 we climbed mt. napulak again to culminate a friendship that bloomed in beers and sotanghon guisado in Treehouse. LC was also leaving for India. we got home from the climbed tired, sleepy and full from beer and oysters. it was 8pm. not long after it was also time for me to move to another boarding house. have to leave it to my friend. stuff couldn't fit in my room...tired of packing...and unpacking...i want to move...away...i want to be...in some other place...not here...i want to stop moving...and

...and

...and

...end.