get out your suitcases

Tom sent me a really great link to a guy who says everything I have always wanted to say about what goes through your head when you travel to/come back from living in a foreign country. Unfortunately, I am not nearly as articulate, nor do I care to spend that much time writing about it, so I cede to his superb skills and send you all there.

Speaking of moving, I’m on my way out of Northern Indiana tomorrow morning. Don’t get your hopes up, though, I’m not going far. I’ve packed up my stuff and my grandparents will come and help me move it all down to Southern Indiana, not far from infamous Brown County (Why infamous? I have yet to find out). Graduate school will be starting in a week and I will be moving into my house where a cat and a traveling roommate’s mail will be awaiting me.

I feel pretty prepared. That is, I hardly unpacked at all from my return from Japan last month, so there was little to do but wait in line for two hours at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to get my driver’s license renewed. One bug-eyed picture, ten pounds heavier (in notation), and a crooked signature later, I was the proud owner of a license I will have to reluctantly show to strangers for the next six years.

And now there is nothing to do but print out maps and move my suitcases and boxes to fire hazard positions in the front hallway. Then I will go to sleep and dream of the yellow table and chairs my grandmother will be bringing with her to add to the wonderful decor of my yet unseen room.