It is exactly 32 days since I ran to another state in a bid to escape my broken heart, 17 days longer than I had initially planned to stay. Another feeling has been quietly setting in for a week now, homesickness, so as I lay on the bed in my best friend’s guest room, I start to estimate how many more days before this inevitably morphs into frustration and I hastily return home.

Turning under the duvet of the twin sized bed, I reach out to grab my phone from where I had hurriedly plugged it before going to bed some hours earlier. 6:47am, but then I didn’t need my phone to tell me the time. One glance at the window and the soft light of dawn had slowly began creeping its way into the room. It’s not surprising I’m up this early, the only surprising thing is that I slept at all, I have after all been largely nocturnal for 4 years now.

“I just knew you’ll be up already, I have gist” my best friend says from the door as he moves to the bed, brandishing hot goss.

It has been raining heavily for an hour now and I remember once again that I have complained less about the sun since I came here. My phone screen lights up as a notification comes in and I quickly look at the time, 9:22.

“This place is like Canada compared to how hot it is back home” I quickly interrupt telling him what I’m sure he has heard at least 30 times since I got here.

“Hm, I’m sweating profusely and this is cold to you? That means I won’t survive when I come to visit you oo” he laughs, giving the same response he has given the other 30 times I mentioned it.

“Let’s go and sort out breakfast jare, so I can continue this gist” he says, leaping off the bed and heading out.

“What is it, haven’t you done enough” plays loudly as I scroll through TikTok. The time is 3:40 and I watch yet another video that makes use of this viral sound. I have just gotten off a 2-hour meeting that ended up lasting 30 minutes longer so this is a little treat to myself. I got lunch and continued on my phone, alternating between focusing on the short clips and stuffing my mouth with a spoonful of porridge.

The day is faster today. Its 6pm already and I haven’t journaled yet, darkness replacing the sun as the sky matches the darkness inside.

“This one that we’ve not had light since morning, we might need to buy fuel. Do you feel like strolling?” my best friend asks, not waiting for a response before walking away, leaving me to put on a pair of shorts and a tank top.

As we step out of the gate, I’m forced to take bigger strides so I can catch up with him. Immediately we fall into step together, he picks up again, another story he can’t wait to tell me.