Four Weeks!

Exactly four weeks ago tonight, the kids and I arrived in Nashville after a very long transatlantic trip from Belgrade. It seems nearly impossible that we've accomplished the things we have in just four weeks' time, especially considering the fact that the entire first week was spent relaxing and rejuvenating in the cool mountains of North Carolina. Not to pat ourselves on the back too much, but in three weeks' time, we've moved into a rental house, received two shipments of belongings, gotten everyone into school and settled into a routine, started piano lessons, horseback riding lessons and cross-country practices, seen lots of old friends and neighbors, spent a lot of time with the grandparents, and spent a fortune purchasing school clothes, supplies and other necessary items for school and the house. Today, I spent about five hours in special education-related meetings, which made me feel like I was back at the work that I love and have missed so much. So, you could say that despite lots of craziness and stress, we seem to have reacclimated back into our pre-Serbia lives.

There still is some discomfort, though, associated with the transition back into western culture. Grocery stores -- while one the one hand being delightful -- are, on the other hand, still a bit overwhelming. I continue to be disgusted (sorry if I'm offending anyone here) by the enormous vehicles that everyone here drives. I mean, I can almost guarantee you that I am one of the only Moms at both of the kids' schools who drives a small 4-door sedan. You gotta have the big honkin SUV, or you just don't quite fit in, it seems. And, everytime I see an airplane, I long to get on it, and to jet off to some exotic place full of interesting people and cultural diversity. But, isn't that snobby of me? Am I somehow better than my fellow Nashvillians for having lived outside of the country for a time? Am I more cultured or more enlightened about the world? Not a safe assumption to make, I don't think. So, I need to just get over myself and move on.

If you're thinking something like "this woman is confused and a bit troubled" at this point, I really couldn't blame you. Maybe I am. In fact, I think that you're right. I am in a state of confusion. I'm confused about what the 17 months abroad meant for our family and for me, personally. I'm confused about how we can keep our experience "alive" for our children so that it really does make a longlasting difference in terms of how they view the world. I'm confused about the town in which I live, and how I fit in, and where my skills can best be used to help folks who need my help. I suppose that all of this confusion is a natural part of transition, but it's disconcerting, and I would rather not have to deal with it. But, oh well, that's life.

Enough opining for one night. I'll try to post some recent photos tomorrow. Goodnight.