Today is my one month left mark. I leave India April 15th. How did that happen?! Where has the time gone?! This isn't reality is it?! I have officially reached the point where I am starting to clean through stuff (physically and emotionally), pack things for the trip home and visit places for the last time. I am down to 30 days or less from this point on. So it's official, I'm leaving for home soon.
I am ridiculously happy about the fact that I get to see my family and friends, visit Target and eat Coast Vida/Cafe Rio again soon. Now that it is close I am remembering all sorts of little things about home--like that I have a car and can drive myself places. And that Ill have a dishwasher AND dryer. And that I'll be able to go to the temple. Heck I can even drive myself there! And afterwords I can drive myself to another temple if I want. But lets be real, I will most likely drive myself to the nearest Target. And yes I do realize that I have now mentioned Target two (three) times in one paragraph and no I am not the least bit ashamed of that. I can go out after dark, even by myself if I want---although Im not going to make a habit of wandering around alone in the dark. That would be plain stupid. I can go to the movies with my friends, call and text people without having to compute the time and make sure I have WIFI because my phone will be fully functional again! I can go to Wendy's and/or Carls Jr, Red Robin, Zupas, Thai Drift, Kneaders and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for the "Worms Dig It" caramel apple.
Yet despite all this excitement, the tears have started falling. They even fell twice in one day last week. Once because of a smoothie of different feelings which was topped off with the fact that I will be leaving India soon and the other because I was leaving reading time and was thinking about how much I am going to miss tucking the kids in bed. And watching movies with them. And their personalities----I LOVE their little but BIG personalities. And hearing them talk about their lives. I cry because I'm going to miss the look of pure gratitude and genuine happiness on the faces of those we visit in the colonies. I'll miss their singing, their laughing and their carrying on a full conversation with me in Tamil, where all I can do is smile, nod and attempt to mimic some of the tones of their voices when it seems appropriate to do so.
As excited as I am to come home, I am also a little nervous too. It felt weird to go home after two and a half months in Africa so I can only imagine a year in India will be more intense. I have talked to friends and family who have told me about this thing being built and that thing being torn down back at home. Some say I won't recognize certain landscapes anymore-such as Geneva which is apparently all houses now?!?! I am honestly a little afraid that I am going to experience major culture shock in my own country. I fear I may be one of those people who goes into a normal grocery store at home and starts to cry. And I know for sure that I will be that weirdo who sometimes wears Sari's and bindis around the house for no other reason then I'll just want to. I wonder if I will feel a twinge of guilt every time I take a warm standing shower and climb into my incredibly comfy queen sized bed. My awesome bed that is in my room along with my closet of all my clothes and shoes and "stuff". Which is just a wall away from my jewelry making/crafting area. I have a feeling I will be doing some major cleaning through my closet/things/life.
I guess in short I'm just feeling really nostalgic for both my home home and my Indian home. So I'll just end this with a picture of a calming sunset. I just need to Keep Calm and Take Pictures of Sunsets (insert little crown and "Keep Calm" poster format here).
I am ridiculously happy about the fact that I get to see my family and friends, visit Target and eat Coast Vida/Cafe Rio again soon. Now that it is close I am remembering all sorts of little things about home--like that I have a car and can drive myself places. And that Ill have a dishwasher AND dryer. And that I'll be able to go to the temple. Heck I can even drive myself there! And afterwords I can drive myself to another temple if I want. But lets be real, I will most likely drive myself to the nearest Target. And yes I do realize that I have now mentioned Target two (three) times in one paragraph and no I am not the least bit ashamed of that. I can go out after dark, even by myself if I want---although Im not going to make a habit of wandering around alone in the dark. That would be plain stupid. I can go to the movies with my friends, call and text people without having to compute the time and make sure I have WIFI because my phone will be fully functional again! I can go to Wendy's and/or Carls Jr, Red Robin, Zupas, Thai Drift, Kneaders and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory for the "Worms Dig It" caramel apple.
Yet despite all this excitement, the tears have started falling. They even fell twice in one day last week. Once because of a smoothie of different feelings which was topped off with the fact that I will be leaving India soon and the other because I was leaving reading time and was thinking about how much I am going to miss tucking the kids in bed. And watching movies with them. And their personalities----I LOVE their little but BIG personalities. And hearing them talk about their lives. I cry because I'm going to miss the look of pure gratitude and genuine happiness on the faces of those we visit in the colonies. I'll miss their singing, their laughing and their carrying on a full conversation with me in Tamil, where all I can do is smile, nod and attempt to mimic some of the tones of their voices when it seems appropriate to do so.
As excited as I am to come home, I am also a little nervous too. It felt weird to go home after two and a half months in Africa so I can only imagine a year in India will be more intense. I have talked to friends and family who have told me about this thing being built and that thing being torn down back at home. Some say I won't recognize certain landscapes anymore-such as Geneva which is apparently all houses now?!?! I am honestly a little afraid that I am going to experience major culture shock in my own country. I fear I may be one of those people who goes into a normal grocery store at home and starts to cry. And I know for sure that I will be that weirdo who sometimes wears Sari's and bindis around the house for no other reason then I'll just want to. I wonder if I will feel a twinge of guilt every time I take a warm standing shower and climb into my incredibly comfy queen sized bed. My awesome bed that is in my room along with my closet of all my clothes and shoes and "stuff". Which is just a wall away from my jewelry making/crafting area. I have a feeling I will be doing some major cleaning through my closet/things/life.
I guess in short I'm just feeling really nostalgic for both my home home and my Indian home. So I'll just end this with a picture of a calming sunset. I just need to Keep Calm and Take Pictures of Sunsets (insert little crown and "Keep Calm" poster format here).
