Narrative Essay On Missing Home

POP! As my ears adjust to the change in pressure while the plane lands on the dimly lit runway, family memories from years ago run through my head. Aunts in the kitchen mixing spices together; uncles coming home from their jobs; cousins who entertained me for many hours; and the hilarious memories that are created when my family gets together. While I walk, out of the Indira Gandhi International airport, into the humid climate of India, family members that came to pick us up crowd around me, and I feel content. As we commute home through the crowded streets filled with animals, cars, and pedestrians, we recall the major events that occurred in the years we had not met. On arriving home, I meet my elderly family members who could not come to the airport. They share their memories of when my parents were young, such as the time my Mom dressed my uncle in a gown, or when my father would run around with his friends in the alleyway behind their house. They also regale me with stories of when all the cousins would come over to spend the night and the house would be full of children during religious festivals.

While sitting with my family, I experience the famous Indian hospitality where everyone is a part of the family, even the domestic servants. The smells of spices, such as cumin, coriander, and chili powder fill the house and the sound of onions sizzling in the pots emanate from the kitchen, where my aunts and grandmother cook the family dinner. Dinner, during this vacation includes a taste of all the foods that are available in India such as daikon, goat meat, and fresh tropical vegetables that are sold in the neighborhood daily. This serves as the starting point for dinner table conversations about the day we have