Back in India

It was far easier to return to life in the U.S. than I had thought. The comfort foods were back. (And so were 3 to 4 pounds…) I could drive -- and traffic was orderly and on the right side of the road. (And drive I did, 3100 miles during the three weeks I was in the States.) Overall, the U.S. seemed clean, quiet, and -- most of all -- empty.

I was uneasy about returning to India. There was an impending ice storm in Virginia, as well as a lot of maintenance needed on our home. The septic system aerator stopped working over Thanksgiving; the water system needs work; the "yard" and road need mowing badly. And it's time for the annual mowing of the septic field.

The old student nightmares of missing exams and classes you didn't know you had enrolled in have been replaced by those of showing up for flights a day late and without a passport. I didn't sleep well the last few nights!

Somehow it's comforting to be back in India. The smoke is familiar, if irritating to my lungs. The electricity continues to be quirky at best, and the plumbing still leaks. And I have to get used to getting my feet wet every time I use the bathroom, since the shower dumps directly on the floor and gets everything wet.

But it's home for now.