Weird Being Back!

Now that I've been back, I've been able to do a little thinking on "being" back. Really, it's very strange. Everyone was asking me if I was excited to leave... and I'd have to say that there was no point during the leaving process when I was truly happy to be leaving. It's nice to be here... but it feels very surreal... like I'll be heading back after a few weeks. When in reality I'm here for a bit of a long haul. Ick!

What's weird about being back...

So, I made a top 10 list of memories before leaving Ama-chu and gave them in my farewell speech. That's what I'm going to do now... Top 10 Reasons It's Weird to be Back!!

10. Fairbanks, Alaska is barely recognizable to me anymore!! So, many stores!! And more to come... (rumor is Old Navy... though construction is yet to begin!)

9. I've actually gotten used to scorching heat... and it's a bit chilly here... ;-)

8. Driving on the right side of the road... it's SO weird to me now!

7. Everything's in English... or Spanish! Weird... and I am understood by everyone! (Which was weird in Michael's today when I yelled out "I love Jack!" because there was a Jack Johnson song on...)

6. Food... the portions are BIG and there's variety. Though my first trip to the grocery store wasn't alone, so not nearly as daunting!

5. It doesn't get dark until 11:30pm... which was normal when I was a kid.

4. No conbinis!! (Can you feel me, Ro??)

3. No Japanese people at all... who knew that Fairbanks was so UN-diverse! (course there's plenty of other races... am just so used to and comforted by the Japanese!)

2. No speaking Japanese... after 3 years of Japanese... it's weird to be without it. I can't even speak it with anyone... and I miss that!

1. Even though I have pictures... it feels almost like I didn't have three years in a foreign country. People aren't all that interested in my life over there. They just see me as... well, me... and don't quite understand that I'm not the same me and I need to talk about my kids because I miss them desperately!!

Anyway... there's my top 10 list of reasons it's weird to be back... there will be other top 10s to follow as I take the journey from culture shock to reverse culture shock!! :-)

Take care.

A