Coming Home

I am an international researcher. Okay, so I only went to Seattle, but that’s international, right? They have different food, different speed limits and I swear the money was designed by a colour-blind environmentalist. Anyway, having come back from my international jet setting (okay, there were no jets involved, but damn it, bus setting just doesn’t have the same ring to it), I thought I would share a few of my thoughts upon arriving home.

1. I am not meant to be a solo traveller. While I accomplished a lot in Seattle, my explorations fell a bit flat. Having someone to share the experience with is what makes adventures fun for me.
2. Vancouver is home. And I don’t mean that is what my driver’s license says. I mean, it is where my mind and heart are at rest. Seeing the skyline as we drove into the city made my heart rest easy.
3. The internet is an odd place. Even though I was online for most of the trip (although this meant no television as the internet only worked in one corner of my bedroom which had no tv), at least two of the people who I talk to most online said they liked it better when I was home and chatting. Somehow, where I was mattered, not just to me, but to them. Other people like to know you are where your mind and heart are at rest too, I guess.
4. I have a great life in Vancouver, filled with even greater people and while I won’t bore you by listing them all, rest assured that if you are reading this and you live in Vancouver, you are probably on the list. Whether you want to be or not.
5. Fear is best served in small portions. Let me explain. (as if you could stop me!). Travelling always makes me nervous. I feel like a child and I doubt that I will know what to do should I get on the wrong bus, talk to the wrong people, walk through the wrong part of town, etc. But lately, I have been learning that one of the keys to overcoming fear is that you only ever have to deal with the present moment. In fact, you can’t actually ever deal with anything else. Each scary thing is just imagination until it is there in front of you in the moment. And that moment is manageable. I mean, really truly manageable. Who knew? Well, you probably did, but maybe I’m just a slow learner. ;)
6. The best part of a trip is taking pictures that most people will not be as excited to see as you are to show them. I won’t bore you with them here, but I WILL post them on Facebook, so be forewarned.
7. Lastly, I really, really, really, like the Fiber One Poptarts and you can only get them in the US so far. And they have chocolate chip cookie cereal! There are some things in life that just aren’t fair. But, I’ll get over it. Now that I’m….home.