I stay at an apartment slash dorm near the Ateneo. Tagig is too far away and my parents want to save me the hassle of four to five hours of daily travel. They want their beloved daughter to have all the time and energy she needs for studying. So I have stayed here in a dorm, ever since freshman year. Actually, this is kinda my second home already. I feel very comfortable here.

Our arrangement is I go home every weekend. I usually leave either Friday afternoon after classes or early Saturday morning. Then they bring me and my brother back here in Katipunan on either Sunday afternoon or right before class on Monday.

When I was a freshman, I felt so homesick that I have never failed to go home every weekend. During sophomore and junior years, I got deeply involved with some organizations that had Saturday activities so I missed going home a few weekends. But just a few. Me and my family dealt with it well. But senior year is something else! Nothing beats senior year! I only got to go home regularly on June when nothing major really happened yet. But since things kicked off July and August marks midterms, I rarely get to go home. It's just busy busy busy.

I miss my family so much!!! I miss sleeping in my own bed. My bed here reminds me of readings because I always have so many readings to finish before dozing off to sleep. I miss cable TV. I have to stick with Channel 2 and 7 on the few times that I actually get to watch TV. I miss home-cooked meals. I miss taho delivered by the vendor himself instead of the packaged cold taho here at school.

Our house in Tagig represents that private and peaceful part of my life. Ateneo and my dorm stand for school, work, and social life. I love school. I don't mind work. In fact, I thrive on it. And I enjoy going out and all that. But sometimes, I just want to go home to my mom and dad. I just want to watch videos, chat, and act silly with my sister. I want to bug Gil with my craziness. I want to see Richard as he does his vain model poses. The dorm is great but it is not my real home. My dorm mates are like my second family but no one can beat my original family.

I was able to go home this weekend. Surprisingly, I finished tons of work! Maybe the ambiance is just inspiring. If I had stayed at the dorm I probably would have felt lousy and not be able to concentrate. I'd be either in my bedroom procrastinating or at the library freezing my ass off. The amazing thing about being at our home is that it makes me productive and yet I do not feel tired or stressed at all.

"Achievements for the Weekend": I was able to watch a lot of TV while finishing a bulk of readings. (Now this is an instance where interdisciplinarity/multi-tasking proves to be useful.) I got a coconut oil hair treatment. I painted my nails. I stayed up late talking to my mom. I watched Maid in Manhattan on HBO. I visited my grandparents. I compiled, edited, and printed the complete chapter one of my thesis. I finished a reaction paper in advance. I was able to do a lot of research.

I should go home more often. Even when I'm busy. Maybe especially when I'm busy. I don't know. Our home, my room, and my family are like drugs that make me hyper. It just works. There's no place like home.