have you ever felt so excited to go to a place even though you have been there so many times before?

I have, today, when I went to the supermarket.

Still those racks of noodles and Vietnamese spices; the ceramic corner looked the same; the snack bars didn’t move and neither did the vegetable storage area. But… Why did they look so cool all of a sudden?

Was it because I had been staying at home for 2 solid weeks, since the 16th regulation, which requires absolute quarantine and minimal travel?

Was it because the supermarket was so empty and the only voice filling the air was from a lady reading COVID safety rules?

Or was it because I knew I will not be able to come back to this supermarket anytime soon as I would be leaving for the US so soon?

I still don’t know for sure. I’m just trying to condense a big mixture of feeling into this tiny piece of writing.

Hà Nội, mùng 6 tháng 8 năm 2021