Home Again

As of last Sunday, we're home, back in the house, the swell, sweet neighborhood of West Asheville, where at moments it feels like we never left this place, and at others we're washed over by a lifetime of experiences that filled us up this year. What a wild, amazing time.

We’ve been back for a bit over 3 months now, tromping again on U.S. soil, flying up and down from one end of the country to the other visiting family and friends, relearning for ourselves how to mesh and meld in this fast-paced, driven America. We’ve experienced the yell out loud joy of being able to stick your mouth right under the bathroom faucet, swallowing the pure chlorinated water whole, brushing your teeth with big bold strokes without reaching for the bottle of purified water. For the first week one of us would get all tickled about this simple yet satisfying experience and yell, “hey, look at me!”

After 2 months, we stopped shocking our various house hosts with soiled toilet paper in the trash– we’ve now been fully retrained to throw our waste paper in the toilet and flush, and no longer have to stop ourselves from reaching for the wastebasket. Ice cubes, electricity and refrigeration have all become norm again, but for the most part don’t cause us a fuss if any or all are lacking. Other new noticeable traits about ourselves compared to our more civilized comrades is our high personal tolerance for lack of showers, creepy spiders, jumping crickets, or your occasional rat droppings in the house. All these things that years ago might have made you flinch or go on a crazy cleaning spree, now just roll right off us as no big deal.

Instead, it’s the endless choices and crazy high prices at the grocery stores, all the paperwork crap and people you have to talk to and fees you have to pay to set up house again or drive your car. It’s witnessing the frenzy that people go through for Christmas shopping, or the things this society markets at us for what you need to raise a new baby, and in general all the consumer products this country thinks you need to survive, to be happy - it all just blows our minds, and fires us up for a bit. Also the sad realization that one income at a good-paying job, with great benefits, an affordable house and no car payments - may not be enough to freaking survive in this country, it takes so much money to live here that it really is obscene, even when living on a simple budget. Just to give you an example, compared to 3 months living in Central America, we have spent in the same amount of time - 4 times that amount in cash just staying with friends and family and really only buying food, transportation, entertainment, some basic lodging, insurance and health care costs. In Central America we paid for everything, and it went an incredible distance.

You may wonder from my banter if we are actually glad to be home, and the answer is by far a big YES! Our surprise greeting at the airport, our welcome home party, multiple phone calls, belly-pleasing meals, lodging offers, help with job search, health insurance, baby needs, transportation, moving, your smiles, your supportive words, being able to reach out and physically touch your hands, hug your necks - all of these offerings embraced us and gave us something sturdy to lean on when we grew a little overwhelmed or weary.

We have had an amazing time visiting all of you - strolling along chilly Maine beaches, picking apples straight off the tree, stuffing scarecrows, having you rub and sing to my growing belly, sun-kissed and warmed by the swirling Santa Ana winds of Southern California, walking the goat, tromping through copper fall leaves, mesmerized by the giant Sequoias, and charmed by the first snowfall that coaxed us on an early winter magic hike, just the two of us, through perfect, joyful stillness. Perhaps some of the best moments though were just waking up in your homes, hearing your voices stir about in the kitchen or living room, wandering out of our bed to stand in the same space, next to you, being a part of your day in a way that so rarely happens due to time and distance.

And so, as I said, we are back at home, back at the work grind, almost unpacked from boxes and backpacks and trying to find our way, our space again, before our magic gift from Guatemala, our new sweet boy, makes his presence, and rocks our world for another exciting year.