We have been in the States for two weeks now! I knew it would be a transition, but I didn't expect it would be quite so smooth. Other than feeling rather cold every morning and not having quite enough long sleeves, we have comfortably transitioned. We are blessed to be starting our state side stay in a place with others who are preparing to or have already worked overseas. I'm sure this has cushioned the transition, resulting in us not seeming so weird or different. Our boys are making friends left and right; starting conversations with others quicker than either John or I feel comfortable doing. I'm sure Caedmon and Whitman know the names of more people living in this community than I do.
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| Enjoying a basketball game. |
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| The stadium is soooo big. |
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| Enjoying gardens and the weather! |
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| Oh the selections are endless... |
Thus far I feel like a kid in a candy shop. There are so many great shops, grocery stores, and movie theaters! The weather has been absolutely amazing; I haven't had sweat dripping from my body in the past two weeks, even when exercising!
As I seem to be amazed with all I see, I've realized we have returned to our home culture and a lot of familiarity with very different lenses. The lenses through which we now see and interpret the world around us have changed.
For example, Whitman was quite disappointed with the rice that arrived with his Quesadilla at a Mexican restaurant. He was expecting white rice when I told him, "It comes with rice." I felt rather immodest last week when I wore shorts and a tank top, and I cannot believe how little the Maverick (basketball) Dancer's wear. John and I have also been blown away by the number of obese individuals here. The notable aspect to all of this is that it is not new. Three years ago I wore shorts and tank tops regularly and I'm sure neither the Maverick Dancers nor the number of obesity individuals have changed that significantly in the past three years. Though there have been many significant changes over the past three years...
...We have a 2 year old niece and nephew we've never met, three of our friends have gotten married, we've had 3 grandparents pass away, and at least 12 babies have been born to close friends or family members...,
But our lenses have significantly changed as well.
I'm not so sure a clothes dryer is all that great any more, my clothes come out more wrinkled and I've already shrunk a pair of pants. Homes, not to mention their respective yards, are sooo big. It is so quiet outside, no chickens, geckos, or motorcycles revving their engines. Everything seems so clean, to the point we've let the boys eat dropped food off the floor for the first time.
Don't get me wrong, though things that were once normal we see very differently, we still have returned to a place that seems comfortable. We know how to speak, mostly (be gracious if we slip up and ask questions that seem weird or sound funny in our word choices), we know how to maneuver through traffic, we know how to shop, interact with people, and we don't stand out! We have really enjoyed gathering with people on Sundays and attending a Holy Book study during the week. Thank you for thinking of us, it has been a fun and enjoyable transition back so far!
