Reflections on Being Home

We’ve been here a few days now, and we are just about over the jet lag.  It feels GREAT to be home.  I feel like I have walked into a dense rain forest after being in the bleak and sandy desert for so long.  I missed the blue sky!  I am not too chilly, as I had expected, because the humidity is like a warm, comforting blanket every time I go outside.  I love the humidity.  And we had a rain storm the other day!  Everything is so green.  I love the sound of the bugs chirping at night.  (I knew it was time for a trip home when I told Everett we would get to see lightening bugs at home, and he said “What are lightening bugs?” (!!) ) We have also been eating bacon for just about every meal.  I wore a tank top and shorts to the Ace Hardware this afternoon, where I drove myself there, ran inside for ten minutes to get what I needed, which was a set of four 2 ½ “ bolts, paid with my trusty old mastercard, and was back home after less than twenty-five minutes.  That would have taken weeks and weeks to accomplish in Arabia.  I am a little afraid to let myself go to Wally World, because I am afraid I will be so excited to be there that I will be greeting the greeters instead of them greeting me.  After all, I don’t want to embarrass myself. 

Some things, though, are just as hard here as in Saudi.  I am still trapped at the house a lot due to naps and the difficulty of taking three small children anywhere that’s not the grocery store.  Communication is still an issue, although not nearly as bad.  (I had a hard time getting the Ace Hardware guy to figure out what I needed.)  And I definitely did not miss the sensationalist news stories that flood the media about “so and so was murdered last night” and “drunk driver caused this big wreck” and “our schools are going to pot” and “drug dealers released from prision”, “live chicken found wandering outside a local Bojangles” etc, etc.  (I didn’t make that last one up!)  I’m sure that stuff happens in Saudi too, but we never know about it because we don’t have TV, and even if we did, all the reports are in Arabic. 

We are headed to Charlotte on Monday.  HOORAY!  HOME!  Brace yourselves, folks – most of the Benchichs are back!