Yes.  We have returned home.

We are back.  We have yet to fully embrace our old lives and seem to be picking little pieces of new and old processes we will adopt here in our home lives.  The permanent change of our worldy explorations has yet to become concrete actions and formalized plans.

(I know.  I have 3 ports yet to review.  I am working on those.  Stay tuned.  I will get them done.)

They will.  It takes time.  I have noticed so many little things that have changed in the way we occupy our old spaces.  We are in active recovery.   Just like we do in spin class at my most favorite studio.  Keep moving those legs and take deep breaths. You will feel comfortable again.  Just keep at it.  Recover in an active way.

The photo of the back of the boys (at the top of this post) is from Myanmar.  They had just finished up washing the elephants at the refuge.  We captured them comparing notes while walking back to the camp.  It has become one of their parents’ favorite photos. Myanmar was a standout country for all of us in so many ways.  There was magic there. Pure magic that you can capture in your hands.  We each accomplished growth there. And, today we seem to speak about this experience in hushed tones.

I cannot tolerate running water while I am brushing my teeth.  Wasting water will not happen on my watch.  There is far too little of the clean stuff to go around.   These are the types of things you never anticipate picking up along the road.  But, I did.  It changed me. I saw it for myself.  I now know water is a valuable.

We to return to our amazing adventures in our minds.  We talk about our experiences when to reunited family member and friends.  Family dinner now consists of memories about the tough minutes and the “remember” when.  Each family member now believes they have a favorite experience. This happens.  At the exact same moment, the flashbulb explodes in your mind when we are relaying a story, I notice that I am back in the world that we created based on who we prior to the voyage.  We now live in before SAS (Semester at Sea) and in the after.

So many of our ports were shattering.  They moved our thought processes because of what we saw and felt.  We have only been back 2 months.  60 days.  We now seem to be categorizing our activities only using the remembered and experienced emotion.  You can remember the emotion you felt.  It sticks around when the exact scene fades away.

You remember the desperation you had when you debit cards were shut down another time.  Or, when you really wanted to call your sister and could not.  Or, wanted space aboard the ship and were unable to find a quiet corner.  Or, when you received a heavy message from someone at home and could not respond until you hit port again.  You had to sit with your message in your mind for a few days.   And, better it.  And, reconcile it, alone.

I remember the true joy of seeing Vietnam for the first time. A dreamed about land.  I know I will return one day soon.  It was too close to the perfect picture I had in my mind.

I can feel the extreme happiness I experienced as I saw the boys finish a 6+ mile hike in the heat of Myanmar.

Next, comes the disappointment (read devastation) when we did not make it to port on the magical island of Mauritius.

And, the pure frustration I felt in India regarding the caste system and expectation for women to have their entire bodies covered in extreme heat.  The control that men have over their daily lives was too much for me.

That heat in Ghana was terrifying.  Never have I experienced such a thing, while at the same time watching their people dance, work, sing, and laugh while we felt oppressed by the humidity.

I can still feel the overwhelming pride I had in each and every success we experienced while helping our family (team) manage a new culture.  The highs were high.  The lows were low.  We had been warned that this would be the case. Those that came before us had issued us such a warning well in advance.

I have so many items yet to process and categorize. Maybe they will never find the exact right spots in my mind.  This is the part of travel is where the experience is and where it will not leave you.  It is ours forever.  And, I feel remarkable for grabbing this chance when we had it.  We jumped at it.  And, it was worth those minutes of flying blind. Pushing. Forward.  Seems to bring with it growth.  Okay.  Growth happens if you let it. Lesson 1001 has now been learned thanks to this life experience.

One thing I have said time and time again.  Humans are good.  They are.  They will help you when they can, not matter where you are.  It seems, you just have to figure out how to ask.   I promise to be one of these “helper people”.   I owe many around the planet the same type of kindness I was shown by other travelers, fellow voyagers, and perfect strangers in strange new lands.  Grateful.   I am grateful.  And, “in process”.  I guess that may be my new condition.   (I am really, truly, okay with that.)  Active recovery.  Keep breathing and moving forward.  Actively make new experiences the reality of who you are.  Life is good.