Readjusting to Home Sweet Home

My last post was written when I was on the plane headed towards Washington DC.  I still remember the excitement I felt when we landed back in the U.S.  I was tired of sitting in an airplane and my knees ached.  Our first flight from Sierra Leone to Brussels had taken almost 7 hours. We had a six hour layover in Brussels before our next eight hour flight from Brussels to Washington DC. I don't sleep well on planes, never being able to get comfortable.  Some team members did sleep.  Rebecca covered her body from head to toe with airplane blankets and she slept alot. Several of us watched movies, a few read, and Carol drew. She finished several drawings, including one for me. She is so talented.

Rebecca and I started singing "America" as we prepared for the landing at Dulles Airport.  I felt so fortunate to have been born and lived almost 60 years in the U.S.  I had no idea of how hard it was going to be to readjust--how my experience in Sierra Leone had changed me so much.  I didn't realize that living in such a different culture for six days could affect my life so profoundly. Since returning I have had to find a way to bridge my culture with the one I recently left.  For the past five days, I have felt like I was straddling a huge chasm with one leg in Sierra Leone and one in Paris, Tennessee. More on that a little later.

After landing in Dulles Airport, we went through Customs, picked up our luggage (except for one bag of Carol's which had not arrived), and proceeded through security.  We continued on to our departure gate and waited for our final flight to Nashville.  Due to maintenance, we were almost one hour late in leaving.  We were all getting tired and anxious to get home.  We had family or friends already in route to the airport and wanted to meet them as soon as possible.  We were late but did make it to Nashville by 7 P.M.  We grabbed one final picture of the team and then headed to baggage claim and reunions with family and friends. Everyone but Carol picked up their luggage and she went to the United Airlines office to file a report for her missing bag.  Her bag was found and delivered on Monday.

I was thrilled to see John and reconnect.  I wanted to hear all about home and what he had done while I was gone.  I made it most of the way home before fatigue consumed me.  I was thankful that John had brought a pillow and blanket.  I fell asleep before arriving home and then made my way into the house.  I remember very little about coming into the house except noticing that my house looked so clean and orderly.  I went straight to bed and didn't wake up until 8:15 AM.  I meant to go to church and Sunday School but I didn't awaken in time.  I relaxed much of the day except for unpacking, bathing, and talking to my children.  We drove around town later in the afternoon so I could feel back in touch with my hometown.  I uploaded some of my pictures to the blog and talked to John about my experiences in Sierra Leone.  I began to realize how hard it was going to be to explain how different I see the world right now. We met out-of-town company Sunday evening for dinner and I had a hard time deciding what to share about my trip.

I decided to go on to Memphis on Monday to see my grandchildren, son, and daughter-in-law.  I typically go to Memphis weekly and I was eager to get back to my routine.  I also missed my babes and wanted to tell them all about my experience.  However, I was really tired and fairly "zoned out."  It may take me a few days to get over the jet lag but in the meantime, I'll drink more coffee and hot tea.  I went to my granddaughters' Montessori school and read a story to the children like I have done for the past 7 months.  I loved seeing those beautiful little faces.  I thought back to the faces of so many precious children I had encountered in Sierra Leone and how similar, yet different, these two groups of children are.  I couldn't wait to sit down and tell my grandchildren all about my trip.  I expected them to be much more interested than they were.  I have so much I want to share with people at home but I can tell that there is a limit to what people really want to hear and can comprehend.  Often, people seem to feel sorry for the children (and adults) in Sierra Leone and I find myself defending them and trying to correct people's view of them.  There are so many stereotypes of people who live in Africa.  In addition, I get irritated when people talk about people in Africa as if they are all the same.  Africa is a huge continent, not a country.  I feel frustrated when I see the huge focus in our culture on consumerism, realizing how little of it matters.  I struggle with all the waste I see around me.  Yikes!!!  Time to stop and pray that God will help me be patient, loving, and at peace. . . breathe too . . . okay, I'm better but will close for now, save this draft, and finish this post tomorrow or the next day.

I'm back.  It's Thursday morning and I am feeling more settled and rested. I returned from Memphis Tuesday in time to teach my evening belly dance class and I enjoyed being with them. I uploaded more pictures yesterday, went to see some friends and my mother-in-law, purchased a gift for an upcoming wedding shower, and cooked dinner.  I got a good night's rest and am now ready to go for a run in a few minutes.  All is wonderful in my life.  I appreciate all my blessings that I do not deserve.  The Bible teaches me that "To whom much is given, much is expected."  I am ready to live each day to the fullest, giving to others, loving them, and embracing/cherishing all that I gained from my time in Sierra Leone.

As I always tell my grandson when he goes to school, "make it a good day."  This is the day the Lord hath made. Rejoice and be glad in it." That's just what I'm going to do.

Jane