Well, it took me a little longer to get over jet lag, so, here's a belated recap of the rest of our whirlwind trip to the States.
It felt a little like a relay race as we hugged goodbye Reid's parents at the top of the escalator inside the airport before baggage claim to go straight into the arms of my parents waiting anxiously at the bottom. From then on it was a jam-packed week of friends and family, oh, and some major power shopping.
There were two things that really hit us the most. The first was how strange it felt to walk back into our house, almost exactly as we had left it (including the beer bottles left over from our goodbye party in the garage)-- almost like a time warp. Were we really there? And yet, clearly we felt different. Things were different. But, there was no real way to nail down exactly what was different. Had we changed? In what way?
Small things like realizing how accustomed we had gotten to the noise, density, and fast paced reality of Mumbai (as Reid mentioned). Tuesday morning we woke up to a silent house, sitting in our living room on my favorite couch, listening to the ticking of the clock (with a soft purring kitty on my lap), and a meandering car rolling down the street (and wait..... it didn't honk??). We took our usual walk to the Falls, and I couldn't tell if the sky looked so ridiculously big because there were no leaves on the trees, or if Mumbai was really that crowded in with high story buildings (it's the latter). It was almost eerie walking around-- all the SPACE. The lack of people. The lack of... stuff, everywhere. I was in a bit of shock the whole time. Do things just move slower in Minnesota? I definitely don't remember it that way. Perspective.
But how have we changed, personally? That's harder to explain. I don't think we even really understand, or know. I think a greater awareness of the world, and humanity in general for one. Out and about driving with my sister, I saw a homeless man begging, and again, I had a little reverse culture shock. After struggling with the harsh reality and mass of extreme poverty in India, seeing this one man I would have thought I would have reacted in a way harsher, as the beggars here in India have it SO much worse, are far more desperate, and in far greater numbers. But, it was just the opposite. I found myself noticing and caring more for this individual than I ever did before we left. Why? I don't know. But I did.
We've gained a greater appreciation for the blessings in our life. Which brings me to the second thing that we walked away the most with. Our family. Our friends. We had little, but precious time with so many of the people that mean the most in the world to us. And for those of you that went out of your way to see us in our ridiculously inflexible and tight schedule, it meant more than we can say. It was like one big sucker-punch of affection and attention that we are still glowing from. And for those of you we didn't get to see (or didn't get to see enough of), thank you for your love and support from afar. Being so far away brings a small fear of losing touch or weakening beloved relationships. Thank you all for being genuinely interested and supportive of what we are doing, and thank you for giving us updates and stories on your lives, as we have so missed being a daily part of them (keep them coming!).
And though I cried my eyes out walking out of our house and cried again as we took off from MPS and I could no longer see Minnesota below me (very cloudy), as I turned on the iPod to continue the mix that I had started a week earlier, the song "The Call" from Regina Spektor randomly chosen began, and I laughed at how high school I felt as the song felt like it was written for me at that moment. This entry is already too long, so, if you want to read the lyrics, I've included them below.
Now it's a week later, I'm siting in our apartment, and though of course I still miss everyone and the aspects of home that we love, we are back in the swing of things and it feels... normal (really?). Is it possible to feel so at home in two drastically different places? Don't worry Mom, Minneapolis is still "home". But Mumbai is definitely a good "temporary home".
Rachel
"The Call"
It started out as a feeling Which then grew into a hope Which then turned into a quiet thought Which then turned into a quiet word And then that word grew louder and louder Until it was a battle cry I'll come back When you call me No need to say goodbye Just because everything's changing Doesn't mean it's never been this way before All you can do is try to know who your friends are As you head off to the world Pick a star on the dark horizon And follow the light You'll come back when it's over No need to say goodbye You'll come back when it's over No need to say goodbye Now we're back to the beginning It's just a feeling and no one knows yet But just because they can't feel it too Doesn't mean that you have to forget Let your memories grow stronger and stronger Until they're before your eyes You'll come back When they call you No need to say goodbye You'll come back When they call you No need to say goodbye
