After a long and frustrating series of airline mishaps, I finally FINALLY made it home to Chicago. I've never been so happy to be back here. There is truly no place like home. I feel I finally have my feet on the ground for the first time in over a month. I've also never been so happy to see Dad. It feels like years since I last saw him.
I still don't feel whole again. I won't feel whole again until I return to Egypt. My parents are feeling the same way. Now I really appreciate what they have dealt with since they married and settled in the US 26 years ago...
Oddly enough, my first impression upon reentering the states (aside from, "Oh hey, I can read the signs!") was, "Geez, our country is friggin' BIG!" It's ridiculously large. It spans an entire continent. The average American state is the size of an average country. In Europe or the Middle East, you drive for ten hours in any direction and you're in a different country. In the US, you could drive for days from coast to coast. It's no wonder so many Americans have never been outside the US - you don't even have to leave the country to experience something totally different from your own home! And each region of the US truly feels like a different country. One of many unique attributes that I've come to appreciate about the USA.
As fantastic as this entire experience abroad has been, I have also found myself longing to return to my favorite places in the States. I miss my family in Maryland and the Appalachians, I miss the Rockies and the Bighorns, I miss NYC, and I miss Florida. Hopefully I will be able to visit all of them in the next year.
For now, I'm going to sleep better than I've slept in weeks. No more anxiety, no more nightmares, and no more uncomfortable airplanes...
I still don't feel whole again. I won't feel whole again until I return to Egypt. My parents are feeling the same way. Now I really appreciate what they have dealt with since they married and settled in the US 26 years ago...
Oddly enough, my first impression upon reentering the states (aside from, "Oh hey, I can read the signs!") was, "Geez, our country is friggin' BIG!" It's ridiculously large. It spans an entire continent. The average American state is the size of an average country. In Europe or the Middle East, you drive for ten hours in any direction and you're in a different country. In the US, you could drive for days from coast to coast. It's no wonder so many Americans have never been outside the US - you don't even have to leave the country to experience something totally different from your own home! And each region of the US truly feels like a different country. One of many unique attributes that I've come to appreciate about the USA.
As fantastic as this entire experience abroad has been, I have also found myself longing to return to my favorite places in the States. I miss my family in Maryland and the Appalachians, I miss the Rockies and the Bighorns, I miss NYC, and I miss Florida. Hopefully I will be able to visit all of them in the next year.
For now, I'm going to sleep better than I've slept in weeks. No more anxiety, no more nightmares, and no more uncomfortable airplanes...
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