"Oh ya, America is cold..."
Honestly, this was the first thing that came to my mind as I stepped off the plane in New York. The girls behind me were giddy with excitement, returning from their time studying abroad... I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure what to do with myself.
I love having warm showers. I love eating raspberries. I love being able to not think twice about texting people. I love running into my student teaching supervisor at Starbucks as I'm processing with my pastor. I love cuddling up and watching movies with Tricia and Devin.
I am trying to refrain from feeling grumpy about all the things that are overwhelming to me eyes and my heart... The number of choices at the grocery store, the number of tall, beautiful buildings I see, all the choices on the coffee menu, the number of white people I see... Trying to remember that life is not better or worse anywhere, just different. Some places, it's much more painful and much more needy. But that doesn't mean life is worse.
Being "home" is sweet. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" keeps coming on the radio... "Faithful friends who are dear to us will be near to us once more...". I am so thankful for this. For the first time in my life, I have two sets of lovely people, on both sides of Washington, that I am coming home to this Christmas season. Twice the love, twice the catching up, twice the joy, twice the amount of blessings.
I am grateful for comforts. I am grateful for perspective. I am grateful for the life that awaits my return in Africa. I am grateful for the opportunity to live and love in these two very different worlds.
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