“Hello! Welcome!” He greets his new roommate. The roommate is terribly jet-lagged and quickly falls asleep. As he begins to get ready for bed, someone bursts into the room, “I believe this is where I’m sleeping.” He tells him that someone just moved in an hour ago and that he must be mistaken. The gentleman leaves only to come back and insists that it is correct. Three to a room. The time he has been quietly dreading has come to pass. He has had this room to himself for weeks and within the span of one evening,  now has two roommates. He is annoyed with the unexpected third addition, but after sleeping it off and rearranging the room a bit, he comes to terms with it.  By the third day, he notices an odor. He gives it some thought. He deduces that it isn’t the first fellow who bathes in cologne. It is the other fellow and this guy sleeps above him on the top bunk. He reminds himself that the smelly fellow is leaving soon. Sure enough, after a couple of weeks, the pungent roommate departs. 

One day at work, he walks into the bathroom to discover local workers attempting to fix a urinal. This particular urinal has been out of commission since Thanksgiving.  While the workers are talking to each other in their native tongue, they are looking at a power tool. He has never seen this tool before. It looks as if the workers are figuring out how to use it at this very moment. To avoid a potentially smelly disaster, he high tails it outta there.  Fortunately, no disaster occurred, but the urinal has yet to be fixed.

He has been doing his best to stay fit.  After being unable to get over the 5 mile mark, he’s finally able to knock out mile 6 then 7. He is sore but feels accomplished. Mile 5 was a mental hurdle he has been struggling with. After some thought, he realizes that this is the farthest he’s ever ran.  He’s hopeful that miles 8, 9, and 10 are on the horizon.

One day while sitting at his desk, he turns to his co-worker and asks if he has heard the guy in the community bathroom who is constantly gagging while he is brushing his teeth. With eyes wide, his co-worker quickly pivots towards him in his chair and says, “Yes! What is it with that guy? I keep thinking he’s going to throw up. It’s so intense.” They laugh and share their experiences of hearing this random guy viciously gagging. He learns that many others have heard this person gagging with the intensity of a 600 horsepower engine with no exhaust. The legend of Gag Man. From that point on, him and his co-worker randomly make gagging sounds. UuuiiiccCCKKK!!!

He’s sitting on the roof in the shade while reading a book. After completing a few pages, he notices the sound of a lawn mower at work in the distance. He smiles at where the sound takes him. He closes his eyes. He is sitting in his backyard on a cool, breezy, weekend afternoon. The smell of someone grilling in the distance and freshly cut grass catches his nose. He can hear his neighbors mowing their lawns with kids cackling and dogs barking. It reminds him of home and of his ever approaching return to it. With a smile, he opens his eyes

His halfway mark has come and gone. It’s a bittersweet feeling. He has enjoyed plenty and understands the growing need to get back home.