My Soft (Yellow) Spot for Airports

"Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes," my dad once told me. That hits a soft spot. My life has been a colorful storybook of starts and ends, of happy hellos and reluctant, sometimes tearful and painful, goodbyes. But I have no regrets - and that's the most important thing. I would say hello (or hejsan or salut) and goodbye (or babay or sampai jumpa) all over again.

If I could make a picture book, I'd include these two snapshots.

GOODBYE

Leaving Manila this time was a little more difficult because I didn't know when I'd fly back. A round-trip ticket from somewhere else still needs getting used to.

HELLO

Could I actually get myself to say "Welcome home, Nikki!" when I saw this at Changi? Hmmm. Maybe in another six months.

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes," writes Richard Bach in his book Illusions. "Farewells are necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends."

I look forward to meeting again, dear friends. And yes, even if it's just a quick hello-goodbye at the airport.