On Return

Pardon the absence; it's been a while. This while is the longest while of a break I've had from the likes of travel documentation. It's not to say I haven't been travelling. It's been rather the contrary and I still have 93% of last summer to cover. Partially, it's down to technology and blogger's linking to google therefore to google plus, all very tedious.

Mostly it's been down to something I coin as The Readjustment. Capital letters and everything. All the material tells you that moving back to your country of origin (or in my case, my adopted country of origin) will be tough. You won't be the same, the place will be largely the same with subtle differences, be patient, blah blah blah. I knew all of this. And yet. I could liken it to an analogy my mother gave me (she loves an analogy). She trained as a nurse and worked some time in labour and delivery. In her desire to comfort patients going through the agony of childbirth, pre-her own children, she'd hit them with logical, tangible facts and details of childbirth. As if this would comfort them. She only realised her arrogance/naivety when it was her with the shoe, leg(?) on the other foot, as such. I'm not likening return to childbirth--I know nothing about this. But I do know that facts and logic don't always cut the mustard in high-stress situations. 

With time, I can hand on my heart say a few things: 1. Returning to the UK was bittersweet. 2. For at least two weeks, I was a straight up douche canoe (buzzfeed's terminology, not mine) to my boyfriend. I knew I was doing it and I couldnt' help myself. He extorted a powerful amount of saint-like understanding. My level of crazy does not deserve his levelheadedness. 3. It got better. It got worse. It got better. It got worse again. It got better. Terribly formulaic.

To go into the details would drag me through the minutae of nearly a school year. Briefly then: having visitors from near and far helped, a lot. Their departure also made me sad. Having great friends in London also helped, a lot. They've rallied me through the wanderer's return with invites and parties and pub quizzes. It goes without saying that Paul has been a rock, even when his health continues to fluctuate. He made good on his promises of the purchase of a reading chair and a sausage dog. We're navigating our way through what our version of 'family' looks like despite what the rest of society might want from us. 

A few other 'minor' things are in the works. I start a new job at an international school in London in September; I think that'll go a way in rectifying my desire to be at one with the world. March was a crazy, cantankerous month but all came good in nearly the 25th hour. So we'll leave it at that for the moment. I'm back. I feel back. A bit more lucid and definitely more grounded. My feet and soul will continue to itch and to that I am grateful that I'm a teacher who loves what I do but also loves the freedom I get to travel. 

At the moment, I find myself at the end of a two-week trip to Thailand. I'm on my own for the last four days but the first week and a bit was filled with reunions of the best variety--Rosa, Jay from high school, Clare and Gemma from Shanghai, Ian and Louise from Shanghai. I'm blessed with friendships the world over. And I'm reminded that true friends don't let geography get in the way. 

Watch this space as I update and backdate!