Somewhere over the rainbow is another adventure for us to take. |
The Purpose Driven Life at Home
Tomorrow will make it 2 weeks since we got back home from spending time abroad. There is no doubt in my mind that it will take us another 2 weeks or more to really adjust to being home. With all the catching up on administrative things around the house, to cleaning, to making sure the next few weeks / months are in order we will have our hands full still.We didn't have to think about things like this while we were abroad. Each day was spent enjoying the scenery around us or navigating the streets without purpose. And then each evening was used to determine the possibilities of the following day. It was like the ultimate procrastination for any on-goings at home. There was nothing we could do to change anything around the house, even if there was any kind of minor issue. Those items of concern had to be put off until we got home.
Now that we're home, the chores have been non-stop; the appointments have been daily; and all the little issues we deferred while on leave are all calling for attention. I guess it's called "leave" because you leave your issues behind; too bad when you return, your issues return too. If only there was a way to call it "vanish" so that our issues would vanish and never return.
At home, we live a purpose driven life. We have jobs that occupy most of our time, long to-do lists to fulfill outside of work, problems to tackle in-between time, down-time/leisure time to rest after the hustle, and sleep. Then we repeat. Everything is done with purpose. Even relaxation has a purpose, that is, to prepare us for the next round.
When you're abroad, purpose is determined by how you feel when you wake up, not a laundry list of matters to attend to.
Reverse Culture Shock
Someone told me that we'd feel strange about being back home, and they were right. It's easy to make constant comparisons between what is done here in the United States and what is done in various cities and countries around the world. (Note: We did this on the flip side also.) In some cases, the differences are shocking. Sometimes, you can be wow'd at how complicated and ridiculous the United States can be about certain things. And on the other hand, you can see how lucky Americans are and how much better the quality of life can be here.Alternatively, the beauty of other cultures, the simplicity of how others live abroad, and the organic nature of the people and food abroad is wonderful, and in many ways, cannot compare to the United States. As a traveler, it's these things that are most enjoyable.
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