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"I like to be in America
Okay by me in America..." (West Side Story)

The week in St. Petersburg was great, a good chance to relax and be actual tourists before heading home. We flew back on Saturday. We flew from St P to Moscow through Aeroflot Russian Airline, then switched to Delta and went from Moscow to New York, then to Columbus. Three airplanes in one day--a little much, but I survived. Unfortunately, my luggage moved a little slower and didn't arrive till yesterday, when it was delivered to our house around 6. So now I"m mostly unpacked and starting to reflect. Here's a few things that I'm getting used to again.

--Humidity
--Tap water
--Air conditioning (a little too much)
--A room full of possessions, instead of just a suitcase
--Overly cheerful TV commercials :D
--Being in the same time zone as my sister, even if we're in different places
--American currency

I'm also getting used to the changes--a tree in our yard is gone, my dog's having back problems and moving slower, some of my friends have changed their life plans in ways I don't know yet, and I'm still figuring out what American news I've missed.

I miss the beauty of St Petersburg and the freedom of walking or metro-ing around the city, visiting different places (and having money to explore new eateries!), but it's really good to be back with my family. I had a good weekend in Columbus and got to see a few friends and visit my church there, and now I"m chilling a lot and enjoying Mom's home cooking. Soon I'll need to start preparing to move to an apartment in Columbus. Back to life...

I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of reflecting over the summer, and I would like to continue this blog by sharing some of what I've learned from it. So stay tuned, if you'd like.