i miss…
the late nights on cumberland, walking down from my friend’s apartment to literboard, the half-ass conversation you have in line, dancing to songs i barely knew, eating tacos outside of cool beans after the bar closed, running into a guy from class & accidently going home with him, waking up & demanding waffle house.
my first one-bedroom apartment, the random walks with neighbors that turned into teaching them how to make sushi, all the dogs crammed into my living room leaving toys scattered all over my floor, smoking a cigarette on my balcony while staring at the moon wondering if you were thinking of me too.
the climb to the top of house mountain & seeing the view from the highest point in knoxville, being 30 minutes away from the smokies, the mandatory moonshine tasting after any hike, stopping by bucees for their famous brisket & candied pecans, driving by world’s fair park & seeing it lit up by the golden sun sphere.
living five minutes from west town mall, auntie anne’s pretzel weenies & cinnabon bites, browsing around anthropology knowing i wouldn’t buy a single thing, sitting on a bench & watching people go by, drinking a beer in the middle of the food court while talking to the cute bartender.
watching the sunset as i drove to the mishu’s house, hearing the door ring as i walked in, smiling as layla called me ‘habibi’ & asked me about my day, holding fuad’s hand when he couldn’t fall asleep, sneaking some late night cheese when no one was looking, singing ave maria by schubert while drinking our morning chai, going home just to do it all over again.
i’m homesick for a place i never thought i would call home.