Repatriation and Review

I have officially been back stateside for 2 weeks now and am slowly readjusting to the American way of life. As I was packing up my things and planning my trip home people began to warn me about reverse culture shock and how difficult it can be to jump straight back into my old life. Because I have been looking forward to coming back home for so long I didn't really take it seriously, thinking I would be far to excited to have familiarity around me again. Little did I realize how difficult the transition would actually be. I began to realize that I had found in London the familiarity of 'home' I had been craving for so many months abroad. From learning my way on the buses, to accepting tube delays that could easily force you to get home an hour later than you hoped for. From new friends, to new foods to traveling experiences I would never be able to forget if I tried. I learned my way around a city that I have hopelessly fallen in love with all while completing a Master's program in Christian Education. The past 10 months have been a learning and growing experience that  I could not have predicted if I tried. Sure, I knew I would develop new skills and learn a thing or two about myself but the extent to which I feel I have grown up and matured is something I am still realizing on a daily basis. The last few months I spent in London I began to make a list of a few things I've learned this past year so I'll share a few of them with you:

1. There is no such thing as "on time" with public transportation. (Okay, fine, in England anyways. Germany was spot on every time, of course, and I definitely appreciated that) But I cannot express my frustration at waiting for buses and tubes that struggle to be even close to on time either making me extremely late to where I need to be or forcing me to leave the house 30 minutes early to ensure that I arrive on time. Needless to say, I am beyond ecstatic at having my car back and zipping to and from where I need to be. I can't say that I missed the traffic (nope not even a little bit) on the 405 hahaha but even then at least I am in the comfortable seats of my air conditioned car not packed into train cars next to smelly commuters playing their music too loud in an underground with zero air ventilation.

2. I can navigate my way around a city without the help of my phone, GPS, etc. Not that finding my way wouldn't have been made easier had I had access to these things but I really and truly enjoyed trying to find my way from Point A to Point B using maps next to the Boris Bikes or asking store owners standing in front of their shops if I was headed in the right direction. Even more exciting was when I realized I didn't need the maps or advice from people any more and had even found shortcuts for how to get to places I frequented. I know that my sense of direction isn't something most people in my life are comfortable with me relying on but I can proudly say I know how to wander the streets of London and not be afraid of getting lost. One time, Chris and I had time to kill after a day of being in the library and we thought we would try to get ourselves lost so we could explore something new. We each took turns saying left or right every time we would come to a new road and to our surprise, no matter how twisted we thought we were getting ourselves, we never could get lost. One or the other always knew where we were. Kinda cool, no?
In visiting so many new countries with languages I couldn't understand or accents so thick it felt foreign anyways, I didn't feel anxious in not knowing my way. I became comfortable with navigating my way around a city using public transportation or my favorite, WALKING.

3. Walking. Walking is officially a favorite means of travel though unfortunately not very practical in any place I live be it CA or AZ. I found this out the hard way when I tried to walk from Javi's house in Santa Monica to my beach in Playa del Rey and 2 hours 40 mins later I still had not reached the beach at which point Grace rescued me and we laid out for a few hours. Sure, I could have walked 30 minutes to Santa Monica beach but my sense of distance led me to believe it wouldn't take me more than an hour or so to walk to my favorite beach, Toes. Boy was I wrong! Anyways, it feels good to know that even walking has helped me to get in some of the best shape of my life. Of course it's been combined with lots of gym time and now that I'm back, Yoga, but my restless legs really do appreciate the exhaustion they feel as I climb into bed at night and they don't feel the need to keep moving.

4. I can be alone for days at a time and still be okay. It may not be preferred but it can happen and I don't panic. As much. When I had to move into the studio apartment my last few weeks in London I realized how much I actually enjoyed spending time alone with my country music blasting as loud as I want without wondering how much my roommates hate me for it. I enjoyed putting dishes where I wanted them and decorating how I felt was appropriate and if something was a mess I knew it was my mess and I didn't get irritated that other people left a mess in shared places.

The list of what I have learned about myself in this past year could go on for ages but I won't bore you all with that. My time home in CA and AZ has been absolutely amazing. From beach days to brunches to bike rides and runs on the beach. I've gotten back into yoga, reunited with some of the loves of my life including my most handsome Godson, Aiden who is such a little cuddle bug I'm ecstatic to be with him again.
I've had Mexican food more times than I can count since I've been home and eating tacos like they're going out of style.

It's been incredible catching up with family and friends and being reminded again just how much I was missed and loved back here at home. It may take some time to complete my readjustment to America but with the support system that I've had that has spanned oceans and countries I feel like I will be okay.  I am more confident in myself and believe that I really can do anything I put my mind to! London will always hold a special place in my heart and I can truly say I made friends who will last a life time. It's exciting to have friends abroad and know how easily we will be able to stay in touch.

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this year and helped me get through the rough patches of loneliness and home sickness. I appreciate every person who has been a part of my growing experience. I am unbelievably grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had this year and I know that I will never forget what I have learned. I'm not sure if this will be the last post on here or not. Who knows, maybe I'll start a new blog. Thank you for reading and supporting me this year.

Love from America!

Kristin