Delay

I'm sorry to say that though I have been back in America for just over two weeks now, I still do not have anything to really say.

When it comes to public blogs, I prefer them to be more like articles or essays. I take a lot of time to ponder what I'm saying, why I'm saying it, and how I'm going to say it. In order for me to write anything here about my trip, I need a chance to process it.

I have been asked a few times how the transition back to normal American life has been, my organization's staff has wished us smooth transitions back (of course, along with tools to help).

The problem is that I haven't even had time to transition. I haven't had a chance to process. I'm desperately searching for an apartment with a new roommate, and finding our pickings exceedingly slim. Options open and then close. We are dreading the close of one option that looks fabulous. I'm staying with a friend until then, so I still only have with me what I took with me to Russia while everything else sits in storage. My old landlord is being true to form--unclear, vague, unresponsive to emails or phonecalls. I'm starting a new job in two weeks as a lab instructor. I still am clueless about what is going on this semester in terms of InterVarsity leadership and structure, or who these new volunteers are, and I still haven't talked to my area director--which we have been planning to do since May. I feel like everything is on pause, and yet I have a longer to-do list than I feel I've ever had.

There are the beginnings of changes in my life, but I have yet to fully implement them. There are stories to tell, but hardly cohesive sagas. There are lessons learned, but words are hard to come by.

I hope to come by them soon, so that you, my faithful readers and supporters, will know what happened and what you helped support.

Aand we're back

I have a lot of updating to do, but for now, I will say that I have safely arrived back home to Michigan. I'm staying at a friend's house while she and her husband are on vacation (and it so happens that my friend's husband is the associate pastor, which means I am staying in the parsonage. Heh.). I will meet with my potential roommate this weekend and hopefully find an apartment with her within the next week. The silence is awkward, since I'm used to music playing at camp for about 10 hours per day, and not having teammates around is odd. But it's nice. I'll be spending the next day or so doing some mental readjustments and some processing. I won't be calling anyone for those long 'How was Russia?!?!" conversations anytime soon, and I'm not posting on facebook yet either. It's going to take some time to readjust. So for now, I'm just letting people know that I'm home and that it was a good experience, though not what I was expecting. I'm going to go get dressed (after sleeping for 12 hours) and go grocery shopping! In my car! o.o