Last Post

If there's anyone out there still reading my blog (and I don't really know who you all are), this will be my last post. I've been in the States for just over 2 weeks now. The same reverse-culture shock things still strike me: how big everything is (cars, houses, restaurants, portion sizes, etc), how big people look, how much choice there is in the grocery store (and how wide the aisles are and how big the carts are), how I can understand everyone's conversations around me (incredibly distracting and annoying), and how clear and fresh the air is. It's good to see family and friends and reconnect with people who know me well. It's good to be home in a place where I don't have to be making any more decisions. It's good to have summertime to be in the sun, sleep in, be in the mountains, and do all of the things I don't get a chance to do during the school year. People have been asking me how the adjustment is going, and I don't have a clear answer yet. Hong Kong was both a long and short 3 years of my life, and I don't regret any of it. But I think the permanence of being home in the States will strike me this autumn, when things fall into a routine and I'm no longer planning a long weekend to a neighboring country. I know this isn't the last of my travels, or even of living overseas, perhaps. I'll just have to wait and see how things go and how I feel. For now, I'm just taking it one step at a time. I have 3 weeks left before work starts (I'm teaching 3rd grade for Aurora Public Schools), and I'm taking a grad class in that time. So, when I can squeeze it in, I'll be soaking up the rest of summer.