We're back.

I'm back in Oregon- red faced from my chilly late autumn run, warm bellied from home made split pea soup and beginning to feel rested (thanks to my bed which I'm pretty sure is from heaven).  We arrived home in PDX on Friday evening, a little disoriented but excited to see our families, which really showed up!  All of my sisters and brothers were there with a sign, a fresh jacket for the cold, balloons and hugs, and all was well.  Lynnie (my other mother) and the gang ushered us in with hoots and hollers.  After getting our things, Leslie and I parted ways with an I love you, see you in a few days, which man, am I thankful for her.  We have shared and revealed a lot with and to eachother in the last two months, and I am SO blessed that after and through it all, we love eachother truly and will be "seeing eachother in a few days" for a long long time.

Our first stop, in Houston, is where all the culture shock started.  Maybe this sounds weird, but it was odd to walk around and not be stared at!  We were no longer aliens.  I began to feel the privacy of our society right away.  People had their personal space and agendas and just looking around was not really happening. If it was, it was kept secret- I became hyper aware of eye contact avoidance. Phones were back alive, eavesdropping was once again possible and things were in English...
At our first crossing into Houston, I heard Leslie approach the counter with an Hola! and soon after heard myself asking Todo bien?  The guy looked at me funny and I realized what I had done and walked away laughing.  Not in Sudamerica anymo!
It has been really weird to be back in America after being away for so long and the conversations we've had with people from other cultures.  We are a weiiiird breed.  Movies and commercials and tv shows all seem so odd to me right now.  And phones and cars and electronics.  I mean, obviously there are cars and electronics and cars in Peru and Ecuador, but man do we LOVE THEM here.  It's pretty wild.  Actually really really crazy.  But anyway.

I had such an amazing time.  I don't think you realize all that you've learned from an adventure until after you're home and living your life, and I'm excited to continue to notice these thingsand learn about myself. 
One of my last journal entries was on our last day while I was looking out of the window from our bus driving through the Ecuadorian countryside.  It was basically me gushing about just how beautiful everything is (probably 75% of my journal), and I had a realization-  the landscapes that gave me the most energy and happiness were the ones that were green, wet, throw some clouds in there.. like Oregon.  Gosh, am I lucky to be living in my dreams.  It feels good to love home!

 To today, and the many years of adventures and learning to come! 

-Em