One year ago to the day, I landed in New York. It was the first time my feet had touched American soil in 350 days. Well, actually, I had put my foot on the grass of the American Consulate in Munich in December, and I'd been in the American Consulate in Frankfurt in January and the American Embassy in Berlin in June, all of which are technically American soil, but you know what I mean. I'd said my goodbyes, taken a last walk through Rewe for little grocery goodies (read: chocolate), shared my final glass of delicious 3-euro Rhine wine, shipped boxes to DC, and was thrilled to get on that Lufthansa dream liner flight and get.back.to.America!
When my flight landed around noon in New York, I found out that the east coast was in a heat wave, and a humid, 90-some degree day was there to greet me. Of course, I was in heaven. By the time I got to DC 18 hours later, I hadn't showered in about 3 days, I was jet-lagged and generally sleep deprived, and had been sweating and sticky from humidity for 18 hours non-stop. My body had forgotten how to handle excessive heat or sunshine. The English language was being spoken by everyone around me and it was freaking.me.out. I was delighting in the fact that I had a cell phone with which I could unlimited call, text, or send pictures to my family and friends.\
I spent that first night in New York at a Yankees game, even though game time was at 2am Germany time, and I was pooped. What's more American than a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium with a hot dog, over-priced beer, and a bleachers section full of Jewish teens? Nothing! It was all glorious. I was back, baby!
My itinerary for the first ten days back in America took me across all 4 time zones and landed me in a new job in my old office. It took me quite a bit longer to readjust to life in America than I thought it would. The reintegration and re-assimilation challenged me for the next six months as I tried to find my bearings and settle back into life, applying my arsenal of new experiences and cultural understandings into the setting of my old life. That, folks, is not an easy feat.
This year has absolutely flown by. It's had happy reunions with dear friends, financial hardships, professional growth, heartbreak, wonderful family time, sunshine and warm weather, new friends, and even somehow has included fun trips around the country.
I am so very blessed, and I know it. Today is my America day, and while I might live abroad again or spend and abnormal amount of time searching for tickets for dream adventures, this place will always be my home.
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| In the White House, looking to the Washington Monument |
