Monday, December 19, 2011
As a believer and follower of Christ I have been considering that this is a kind of proof and blessing of God's Kingdom. When you can travel across the whole world, embed yourself with a new culture, and walk away a few months later feeling like you have known the people for years – this is how it should be; it is an image of what will be when the world is made a more complete place because of Christ. It is the good life.
At Starbucks, in America, at 5:22 PM
I have been back in the States for a week now. Unfortunately, during my last few days in Nepal I developed a bad cough and sore throat for the pollution in Kathmandu, and the colder winter air that had settled in within the last month or so. The flights back were pretty brutal. I couldn't sleep because of my sickness. I got maybe three to five hours of uneasy rest over the 35 hour travel time. The deterioration of a solid workout regime, sitting on floors in Nepal (a common occurrence), and the daal bhat diet that gave my digestive system a run for its money – combined with sitting for hours on those long flights back – gave me a sore lower back, something I am not used to. So, within the past week I have had to recover from my sickness, a sore back, and jet lag.
But it is so good to be back!
Back in America, on the ride back from the airport I rolled the window down as a truck passed and I breathed in the “fresh” air with a big grin on my face. Compared to the pollution in Kathmandu, the air on this highway was nothing, even if the air alert level was orange. The fact that we have a system that tracks the pollution in the air to begin with is quite relieving. There are actually public health standards that people have to live up to. Everything is so clean! I have a warm bed and heat in my house, it's practically a miracle! I was away long enough to really appreciate everything about America and the familiar comforts of my hometown, but it was also just short enough for everything to feel very familiar. It was kind of like I went away on a very long workday, and just got back.
The Friday before I left Nepal, my community threw a goodbye party. After a special meal of daal bhat, veggies and meat, everyone gathered and spoke about what my time in Nepal meant for them. It was all very touching and bittersweet. Brian had some encouraging things to say. He said that I blended in with the community so well that he practically forgot there was a foreigner in his midst. He said that although I was only there two and a half months, it felt like I had been there two and a half years. He said he was already missing me, even though I hadn't left yet. When I got to speak, I echoed what he had said. I felt loved and a part of their community; I felt like I had known them for years; and I was already missing everyone.
