My favorite cat sitting atop our luggage before we headed to the airport - wish we could have taken her home too!

After a whirlwind of family get-togethers, holiday parties and reunions it feels good to hunker down inside with a cup of coffee and catch up on life.  It truly is good to be home and the last two weeks have made both of us appreciative of all the people and things we've missed while being in Brazil for the past ten months.

Reunion of Sean's friends from high school and college

As usual, it's been particularly difficult to get used to the freezing temperatures and dry air during winter in West Michigan.  It was also tough on the system to jump into eating very rich (albeit delicious) holiday foods and indulging in fancy beers and drinks that we hadn't had for awhile.  But overall I'm thrilled to be back. It's great to be with family and friends again and have other friends just be a cell phone call away.  I love being able to drive anywhere I want instead of having to wait for for a hot and crowded bus.  Hot showers and washing dishes and my hands with hot water feels divine.  Being able to throw used toilet paper in the toilet instead of the waste basket is an added bonus.  Not sweating profusely 100% of the time or constantly swatting mosquitoes is fantastic and we don't miss sleeping in a mosquito net at all.  The fact that we can count on the electricity to work, the internet to be fast and businesses to be open/not on strike is awesome.  The choices available for food, clothes, soap etc. in places like Meijer and Target is absolutely mind-boggling; Sean and I find ourselves just walking around with mouths open and drooling. It's also nice not to be constantly started at/asked where I'm from due to my accent or misunderstood due to problems with Portuguese.

My friends from high school at the new Hops brewery on 8th St.

What I'm especially grateful for is the chance to feel safe again after living in a fairly dangerous city.  It's a huge weight off of my shoulders and a big sigh of relief.  The other day, while walking out of the Family Fare grocery store with a bag of rolls, I felt my chest seize up in panic at having to navigate through the parking lot to get to my car (parking lots were especially vulnerable places in Brazil) and had to tell myself that everything is fine - I'm in Holland, Michigan. While out at restaurants and bars on 8th street I found myself constantly checking the crowd, my surroundings and if my purse is still at my side. It feels absurd, other-worldly and paranoid.

Ohio State reunion at Founders Brewing in Grand Rapids - what a fun time and a great place to hang out!

What I'm really excited about being back is all of the amazing opportunities, events and things to do happening in Holland, at the library, on Hope's campus and in the community.  I take these activities for granted when I'm here and miss them sorely when I leave. I'm hoping to do a run camp with Gazelle to train for the Fifth Third Riverbank run and the Couch to Crossfit program with Soaring Ledge. There's also a local hot yoga place that would feel really good if not just for the warm and humid climate from time to time. I'm going to be a coach for Girls on the Run and am really looking forward to Alumni Dutch Dance with my original high school partner!  As usual, I'm going to work a bit at the Hope College bookstore and then substitute teach and Sean is going to work at his friend's factory.  We feel very lucky to come home to a community of friends and family who not only heartily welcome us back but also help us along in the transition in generous ways.  It's good to be home!

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