Midnight melted to morning; a moment faded to memory

[Every Moment, Joy Williams]

I'm home!

For the first time since I've lived in North Carolina, returning from a trip truly felt like coming home. That's a good feeling to have. I feel pretty settled into who I am, and my purpose in being here. I feel, too, like I am finally doing what it takes to teach well. That said... tomorrow we're watching The Patriot, but that's because we're learning about revolutions against European domination of the 17th-19th centuries.

I absolutely loved Boston (I really wouldn't mind living there, or in the general vicinity 0f, someday.) but I realized that toward the end of the trip I was starting to have a rebellious spirit against being dragged around to meet all of Becca's family and friends. I couldn't figure out why since I loved getting to catch up with her cousin and I absolutely adored her aunt that I met. All of her friends were really nice and fun, and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet them.

Today, driving home, it hit me- I was right when I knew that the problem had nothing to do with them. The problem was that on some level I was just tired of being introduced to and hanging out with someone else's friends and family because I would really love to be with my own friends and family.

This all came together because there's a pretty real possibility that I'll be able to go home for Christmas this year. Tickets are actually reasonably affordable and by then all of my abroad friends that will return to Spokane will be home. There are other reasons (possible weddings, seeing the newborn child of a friend, etc) but overall I started to get really excited about the prospect of going home. I didn't really realize how much I miss it until I could foresee a possible return. And now I am REALLY excited. So long as it's affordable to do both I will probably go even if the possible wedding doesn't happen until next spring, or what have you.

So yay for friends and family. Yay for vacations, but also yay for finally enjoying being exactly where I am. As much as I want to know what will happen in my future (How long will I stay here in NC? Where will I end up after that? Will I ever meet that man that I can't live without?) I am fully content to be exactly where- and who- I am in this moment. Praise God for that.

All of that said... it's 11 and I have to get up at six. Shoot me now, right?