My brother Chris and his girlfriend Sarah departed on their train trip across America last Monday, October the 4th. The first peep we heard from the two lovers was on Wednesday night, when Chris posted a couple of photos inside our Kang family LINE chatroom. The three photos depicted random adventures across SoCal: a re-assembled donut from the Donatsu bakery, a view of the sunset from behind the famed Hollywood sign, and a watercolor painting of Echo Park in Los Angeles.
The two won’t be back for another month. As I go about my days, I can’t help but notice trivial Kang family lifestyle changes caused by the absence of my 27-year-old bro. I can once again play piano in the morning without bothering a soul. I can also play my music (or podcasts) out loud on speaker when running on the Precor elliptical in the garage.
Without my brother to adjust it to a mistier spray, the bathroom shower head remains firmly set to the concentrated center mode preferred by my mother. (For those wondering, I’m okay with either and usually just leave it as I find it.) My mom no longer has to bake her focaccia bread so often. My dad and I have to watch all of our TV shows / movies in the garage. The last point sucks for me, because I prefer the sofa inside the living room a lot more.
Finally, I don’t have to worry about there being any guests in the house. Out of the Kang family members, my brother is the only one that ever invites inside; even my mom keeps all her friends outdoors. Anyhow, that means I’m free to act silly or strange (i.e. walking over to the weight scale after a shower wearing nothing more than a pair of boxer-briefs) without the possibility of harm or repercussion.
PS: noticed that Chris didn’t bring my Garmin Fenix watch with him on his train trip. (I guess a smartwatch doesn’t appeal to him that much.)
