I’m emotional, lonely and struggling to gather my thoughts. The following writing sample is supposed to help me cope with my misery.You see, the issue present is that I very recently returned from the trip of a lifetime, and now that I’m back home, I’ve become so depressed that I can hardly stand getting out of bed.

Let me begin by saying that I am fully aware that people sometimes go away on vacation over break. Skiing in Vancouver, snorkeling in the Carribean, dancing in Cancun. It all sounds amazing. But for me, I knew I wanted to do something different. I wanted an experience I could call my own…

So I booked a weekend trip to Boca Raton to see my Mom-mom…

The plane ride was almost too good to be true. My mom packed 100-calorie Oreo bags to keep my stomach settled, and the surprises kept coming. Thick shopping catalogues, countless cans of sugarless apple juice and free pillows were among the many perks of riding business class.

The best moment of the flight came later on when a smooth-talking senior introduced himself to me. The man-about 60 years old- had a full grey beard, round eyeglasses and tons of life experiences. We talked for the entire 3-hour flight. He told me about his time in Vietnam, how he made a career selling paper and more enriching stories that will surely change my perception of life itself…

After taking a taxi from the airport to my mommom’s condominium, I unpacked my bag and quickly prepared to go out for dinner. Though a bit tired from the flight, I became revitalized by the idea of dinner with my Mom-mom and her two friends. The restaurant itself was average, but what made the night memorable was our conversation. We must have talked for hours about current events, what our opinions were on certain matters and why politicians are always wrong. It was absolutely enlightening to hear these introspective, completely rational grandmothers express their political acumen so eloquently…

The next day was dedicated to the shopping outlets. We dashed in and out of all the stores like giddy 16-year-old girls. Moreover, my confidence started to swell as my mommom overwhelmed me with compliments when I tried on a new suit. The conversation went something like this:

Mom-mom: Who said you’re allowed to get so big?

George: No one said that.

Mom-mom: What?

George: I love spending time with you.

Mom-mom: But you look so handsome in the blue one….

We returned to the Condominium at around 5 p.m. that night. I came home the next morning. Needless to say, writing this all down hasn’t been easy. Each day is a struggle to return to the reality of life in New Jersey.