Just before going ...
These are the “last days”.
We’ve been packing. We’ve been
buying. We’ve been on errands. We’ve said goodbyes. We’ve thrown away, given away and thrown and
given away some more. We’ve
cleaned. We’ve tied up loose ends. We’ve tried to finish anything that had been
started.
Now … we take 5 suitcases, a brain full of information … and
clutter … and hearts full of emotions that lie deep in hidden parts and some
about to explode right to the surface … and we set out. We set out to live in a 6 month bubble that
we will try to make real life.
Addison’s room bears the scars of pictures that have been
taken off walls, bulletin boards that have been stripped of all photos and
shelves that are naked of books. She’s
leaving behind a handful of things that stand out as reminders of the great
parting that hangs over us.
Yet, on the other hand, we have turned our thoughts to what
awaits us. As we said goodbye to our
dear Maria yesterday, as she recalled the things that made an impression on her
the first time she visited the U.S.A., she reminded of the things that we have
forgotten about:
- Using a garbage disposal instead of collecting food scraps to be put into the bio bin
- Having air conditioning … everywhere
- Having a milk container that holds a gallon vs. only 1 liter
- Having gas stations in which one has to pay before you fill up (she thinks Austrians are so honest they don’t require pre-pay here! And, she’s probably right!)
- Trying to convert everything back from Celsius and Kilometers into Fahrenheit and Miles.
- Being able to use American slang
- Getting ice in your drink
- And … having free refills
I am sitting a little longer in my local cafe this morning, trying to take it all in: the coffee, the sounds, the smells, the culture I now call normal. As this will be the last blog this side of the ocean … I will soak up all things of my new home as we continue to navigate feelings,
thoughts, and impressions as I return to
my old home.
Let the journey begin!
Tags:
going home
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