Anyway, I could not have been more delighted to go home and see my family, friends, and dogs (plus, I guess the cats are kind of cute as well). I knew I had been missing everyone, but I don't think you truly realize how important everyone is until you leave and come back again.
And it's always the quiet, silly moments that make you realize what you miss the most. Like those Sunday mornings where the entire family just sits around the kitchen table in their pajamas and reminisces (and by "reminisce," I mean we mock one of us until they're nearly in tears before switching to a new target). Or when my brother, sister, and I all avoid my mother when she's in a cleaning rampage by laying on my bed (always the community meeting place, for some reason) and chatting about life. And then when my best friend, Abby, and I prove once again that no separation can ever break us by spending hours talking about anything and everything. And of course, also purposely taking the long route when we drive anywhere, just so we can show each other more songs. Everything about it is just so comforting and lovely.
That being said, I wouldn't say that most of the break was exactly relaxing. I had a lot of people to see, and not many days to do it it. It was a bit of an art to squeeze it all in. Especially when you have a very needy family (sorry, guys, but you know it's true.). But luckily, I did manage to see everyone I wanted to, if only briefly in certain cases.
My family and I spent a lot of quality time together that first weekend back. My grandpa took Katie, Conor, and I to Chicago on Saturday. There, we had the quintessential Christmas time day in Chicago. We explored Macy's, ate in the Walnut Room, and visited the Christkindl market. Macy's was spectacular, as usual, and it was my first trip to the Walnut Room. The meal was INCREDIBLE, and the souvenir mug that came with it will be the start of a new collection. I want that to be an annual trip.
Conor, Katie, Gramps, and I at Macy's
Our entrés. SO delicious
Katie, Gramps, Conor, and I in front of the tree
The tree in all its glory
Now, I must say, after living in Germany and seeing so many of their Christmas markets, the little Chicago Christkindl market doesn't QUITE stack up. The gluhwein tasted like juice, the only beer is Bitburger (which I normally avoid), and it's not impressively decorated. Again, I did like my souvenir mug, but the old boot-shaped one that I received the year before was better than the more traditionally-shaped ones that they had this year.
This sign alone should have prepared me for disappointment.
Katie, Gramps, and Conor enjoying their gluhwein. Oh, to again be naive and ignorant of true German alcohol...
A little piece of my home for the year...
And the rest of the break was pretty much just spent catching up with everybody. My friend Julia had a quiet New Year's party that I went to. Abby very kindly drove in from Ohio to see me. And I went out with lots of lunches, breakfasts, and drinks with most of my other friends in the area. It was so nice to catch up with everybody.
As wonderful as being home always is, it also always kind of confuses me. I am good at adapting to new places, but not so good at the transitions. And a trip of such short duration is entirely transitional. It's just always strange to go back and feel like nothing has really change; except for you. The old routine slips back on immediately. It's like hitting the pause button on life. I can never decide if that is a good or a bad thing. Maybe it's neither; just an element of growing up.
I also tend to always feel a bit guilty and undeserving about all the attention I get when I come home. Because I'm so rarely at home now, me coming back is almost an occasion in itself. It feeds the selfish streak in me ("Guys, I'm coming back. But only for x amount of days. You better drop everything and come see me.") Not that I would ever actually say that. But sometimes I feel like I do, if that makes any sense.
Anyway, mostly this trip just made me realize how truly, spectacularly, undeservedly lucky I am. My family and friends are all incredible. They support me regardless of what crazy scheme is in my head, and are always there when I need them. And, thanks to my wandering ways, there's pieces of my heart on three continents. My heaven would be uniting all those pieces together in one place (which in a truly utopia world, would still be New Zealand). But, realistically, that will never happen. There's always going to be a piece missing. Hazards of the occupation, I guess. Looking on the bright side, though, it means I will never stop having reasons to travel. And will always be an active Skype user.
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