Home for the Holidays

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.
                                                                                                --Maya Angelou

I was certainly aching for a little time at home this Christmas.  Last Christmas I was psyched about experiencing the holidays in Romania, but this year I felt differently.  It was a difficult decision at first.  When I left for the Peace Corps I had told myself that it was 27 straight months away from home...I'm one of those people that makes a decision and then doesn't deviate from that even if it's the best thing to do.  So I took a poll of friends, other Peace Corps volunteers, and family...the majority voted that going home was in my best interest.  Looking back I can tell you that they were right.

I was scared to death going home, and I'm still scared about how I'll adjust back to life in the States when I return for good in July.  On my flight from Paris to Atlanta, I sat next to a girl returning from a study abroad trip in Cameroon that totally changed her outlook on life.  I loved hearing about her adventure, the things she encountered, and how nervous she was to be back in America after 3 months abroad.  I thought to myself, 3 months??  Geez...if she was nervous about that after 3 months what am I going to do after being gone for nearly 2 years.  I guess I'll figure that out when I come to it, but I decided them to approach this trip home like a vacation.  It was wonderful and relaxing just to sit in my parents' house and take in the sweet smell (minus the backporch with Dad's truck and farm clothes) I've missed so much!

Home was a whirlwind of the following:(from www.wordle.net)

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I loved every second of being back in Indiana.  It's a great place to grow up, a great place to be from, and a great place to call home.  I can't wait to go back for good and give back to the place and the people that helped make me who I am.