NEW BEGINNINGS

Wednesday, March 24 3:40 PM

Miami Beach, Florida

Idalis:

It's crazy to think that it's been over a month since we walked through the gates of Miami International Airport and saw our friends and family waiting for us, balloons and signs included! In many ways, we had been looking forward to (and dreading) that day for a year and a half.


So, how does it feel to be back?

Hard to say.

We miss our freedom, and feeling like every day is a Saturday. The “real world” is full of things we haven't had to think about in a very long time, like FPL bills, Miami traffic, and work. We miss getting up in the morning and just deciding then and there what we'd like to do for the day. We miss delicious street food, and the price of nearly everything in Asia.

But, I do think there is something to be said for having “too much of a good thing.” After a long time of being on the road, travel starts to lose its luster. Think back to that 7 day tour of Europe you once did. The first church is beautiful, and you marvel at the gilded ceilings and baroque architecture. By the tenth church, though, your feet hurt and all you care about is, “When is lunch?” How many pretty things can I look at before it all starts to seem the same?

We have so much to be thankful for upon our return.

It's been wonderful to reconnect with loved ones. There were so many times during our trip that we longed for a familiar face, and catching up with friends and family has been such a highlight of coming back. It feels GREAT to take a hot shower (every day, I might add) and sleep in a real bed. Even housework doesn't seem so tedious. Sure, vacuuming the house can be a drag, but at least I'm in a space where I can actually stand up in. I've loved running every morning in a place I'm familiar with (and can't get run over by a rickshaw!).

What seems most different to us?

People and their lack of time.

Time is money and money is time. People seem to be rushing, always, in a hurry to get somewhere or do something. Even while walking the dog, people are sending FaceBook messages on their iphones or having loud conversations with their boss. What's crazier yet is to think that we were once these same people, and we shudder to think we will one day have to join the masses and do the same.

Do we feel any different?

Yes.

And no.

We've learned to practice more gratitude. We were so lucky to have this experience, and we know it's one that some people only ever dream about. Separation has heightened my sentimentality. I feel much prouder about being an American than before, faults and all. I feel especially lucky to be a woman born into a Western society, with opportunities that other women around the world can only dream about. I'm grateful for our loving families, our wonderful and supportive friends, and for Netflix. Really. People have been so supportive, giving us couches and cell phones (thank you, Lauren, Jason, Erik, Mike & Amail!), job leads and advice (thank you, BBC chicks, Nate & Manny!), welcome home parties (thank you Aunt Connie & ReAnne), comfy beds to sleep in and home cooked meals (thank you Mom and Dad) and even a George Foreman grill (thanks again Lauren and Jason!). We have a new appreciation for home, yet still a healthy dose of wanderlust. It's an experience that has left us fundamentally the same – and yet profoundly changed.

Is this the end of our travels?

Absolutely not! From my cold, dead hands will you have to pry my lovingly-acquired, stamp-filled passport. As my favorite quote from St. Augustine says, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”

So, what now?

Good question.

Strangely enough, we're looking forward to some normalcy. Work doesn't sound so bad, and feeling like a productive member of society has its rewards. A paycheck, for one. We look forward to cooking for friends, a fresh start at new jobs, and planning for our future together. It is the end of our around-the-world trip, but the start of something new.

Life is a chronology of different chapters. A new adventure is just beginning!



THE END . . .

. . . OR IS IT JUST THE BEGINNING?