For the first time in almost 11 months I will be on American soil. I will be with a majority who speaks and understands EVRYTHING I say. I will have over 400 channels on a television. I will be able to use my cellphone without being connected to Wi-Fi. I will be able to eat Mexican food, Chinese food, pizza, Chickfila, bar-b-que, and ice cream all in a 5 minute span if I so choose. And I will be very jet lagged. But I’ll be home.
As the days are flying by here on the field instead of becoming excited about being home I find myself becoming more nervous/anxious. Not that I’m not super excited to see all my friends and family who have supported me this year, because I am, but because I have changed so much, and home is still exactly the same. I’m used to walking around in countries where I have to play charades to find the closest bathroom, do conversions in my head to figure out the price of something and eating food that I’ve never had before.
To give you a hint of where I’m at in my mental processes this is a real life situation I had to work through the other day: The hotel I’m staying at when I land in LA has a free shuttle from the airport and I was wondering how I was going to communicate to the hotel what time my flight lands so there would be a shuttle there for me but not only that, how was I going to find said shuttle at the airport because I’d be lucky if someone near me understood what I was asking while looking for my shuttle…. Half way through my mental rant I realized- Oh wait. I’LL BE IN AMERICA.
So while, I’m working through the challenge of being able to speak to people who actually understand me I thought I’d make a list of “do’s” and “don’t’s” to try and make the “re-entry” process as seamless and painless for all of us.
DON’T ask me “How was your year?”:
We joke about it – how many times we think we’ll get asked this question and what response can you give to that? My response will probably be somewhere along the lines of “How was yours?” There was good, there was bad, there were tears and laughs. I can’t sum up the year in one simple sentence. And I wouldn’t expect you to be able to either.
DO ask me about my year:
I want to share my experiences with you. I want to tell you what I learned, when I stumbled or even fell flat on my face. When I succeed or about that time I jumped over a gorge in Victoria Falls two days in a row. I want to tell you about it all. So please ask, if you really want to know- because I REALLY would love to tell you.
DON’T invite me out to the bars:
I’m getting home from an eleven-month mission trip. Who I was when I left home is not who will be returning to you. “Miley” is no longer apart of who I am. I used to enjoy that scene and now I find no desire or joy in going to those places. I will go out to a nice quiet bar and grab a beer or glass or wine with you, but that block at the beaches I used to stumble to each weekend will no longer be on my list of stops.
DO ask me to hang out:
I want to see you. I’ve missed you. I want to tell you all the things and catch up on missed time from the last 11 months. Let’s go to the beach, or to lunch or heck let’s just sit at the house and hang out. I want to see all of you.
DON’T ask me to hang out in super crowded areas:
Here’s another true-life story for you: I’m in Malaysia, and I’m on the bus headed to the beach with a couple girls from my team. Typical of me I’ve got my kindle out and I’m reading for the 40-minute ride to Batu Ferringhi, when all of a sudden a British couple gets on the bus and starts talking. And I realize for the first time in 8 months I understand people around me and I CANNOT concentrate on my book for the life of me. People who don’t understand me have surrounded me for the last 11-months but mostly I don’t understand anyone who is around me.
When we hang out I want to be able to give you my undivided attention- I don’t want to be distracted by everything happening around us. Let’s hang out at your house, or my house, or the beach or literally anywhere quiet.
DO suggest adventures:
If you’re reading this you probably already know me well enough to know I’ve always had a love for travel and adventure. This year didn’t slow that down in me at all. If anything it spurred it to be bigger than ever. I’ll be in America for the first time in almost a year after living in remote villages, struggling to find wifi and attempting to learn a little of each countries language. Adjusting to home will be an adventure in and of itself. But if you want someone to go to some random place no one else will go, I’m your girl. Even if that adventure means wine nights on Monday night to watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette (Stephie I’m looking at you).
DON’T expect to see me all the time:
I’ve been gone almost a year. I miss you as much as you miss me (probably more if we’re being honest). But I’ve also been living in constant community for 11 months and I’m probably really going to enjoy my alone time. I’ll also probably be very overwhelmed with all things America- being able to drive, being able to eat what I want, when I want. It’s all going to be very new and very overwhelming for me so give me grace.
DO expect change in me:
Like I said before; who you’re getting back is not who you all lent to the world 11 months ago. I probably won’t laugh at some of the things I did before. I may not want to do things I used to do, I might prefer sleeping in my hammock to a bed, eating only pb sammies for a week straight and I might say things that you have NO IDEA what they mean (ask and I’ll try to explain those things to you) but the change is good. I promise. It might be weird but I’ve never been happier than being who I am now.
(pc: Tabitha Turner)
This is all a rough idea. I have no idea what America is going to be like or how coming home is really going to effect me. It could be super overwhelming and it could be the easiest thing I’ve done all year. Either way I can’t wait to see each and every one of you. Thank you for every text, facebook message, whatsapp, snapchat and letter that has made me know I am loved and missed. I can’t wait to hug you all!!!
