Many of my teammates have chronicled on what its been like to be home. My mind still reels from this past year. What happened to me? What did I experience? Coming home was not supposed to be as difficult for me, I’ve done this before. This is not my first time returning from a mission trip. I mean c’mon, with my history I should have been a pro by now. But I’m not and this is hard.
People keep asking me to tell them a good story. Huh? About what? What kind do you want? My brain scrambles to patch some sembelence of an interesting tale together. Most often I just draw a blank. And then there’s the quintessential race question: What was your favorite country? Huh? All of them? None of them? Crap, that’s not a hard question, I should be able to answer it. Eventually 7:30pm rolls around and I can justify putting myself in bed for the next 12 hours to recover. I miss my team; I miss my squad – reentry is hard.
For your enjoyment here are some: 
America Faux Pas to Avoid (that have been committed in recent days):
1. When you see an African American woman wearing a coat with traditional Africa print, it is not acceptable to ask her if she is African.
2. The man on the shuttle bus does not care about your life – probably best to avoid unburdening youreslf to a perfect stranger.
3. Burping is no longer a compliment or polite.
4. Taking napkins from the restaurant for toilet paper – no longer needed and kind of weird.
5. Ditto on stranger’s leftover food (Katie!).
6. Throwing toilet paper in the trash instead of the toilet – not needed and also kind of weird.
7. Not tipping the waiter informs them that they are incompetent; a 10 cent tip will not remedy the situation.
8. Beckoning with fingers in downward sweeping fashion just looks weird.
9. Pointing with your whole hand instead of just one finger, added to the weird category.
10. The nearest empty piece of floor does not qualify as a bed (aka – sleeping on the floor of Target) – not the best option.
((((((((hugs))))))))… my prayers are with all of you… and i think faithful readers’ idea is a good one… some place here at home where all of you can be together for a couple of weeks to further debrief… wind down… hold on… let go…
i loved having my little brother home for thanksgiving… couldn’t get enough of looking at him… had to make myself not stare… there is a somberness and somehow, it seemed, a sadness looking out from his eyes… i know part of it is the great sorrow and suffering, pain and need you all faced and touched this past year… maybe part of it is missing his “family” and the community, even if it wasn’t always easy… and surely part of it is his beloved Kim not being here to welcome him home, altho she is there to welcome him Home someday… maybe not having a real home at the moment… my mind races with all these things that each of you must be feeling and how it must mingle with the joy of being back with the familiar “old”… my prayers are with you one and all… every day… every night…
great stuff, you made us laugh out loud, especially number 1
Talia, WELCOME HOME!!! I can’t even begin to imagine the difficulty of reentry. You still need our prayers, sweet one. Can’t wait to read more and maybe even talk to you.
You are doing great my dear! I love hearing everything you have to say. I cannot get over how you use those chopsticks!
umm…what country WAS it appropriate to burp outloud?
COMPLETELY agree on the tipping, it seems completely unnecessary and I almost resent that it’s a cultural norm – I mean they get PAID right? (sorry Bri…)
i love the fam cool stuff and nice pic
leahbarnes
friday night. my house. i’m having cake and ice cream, and sarah f is coming too. i wanna see you…
please call me or email.
From what I’ve read and from what I’ve seen, re-entry is tough! Maybe AIM ought to consider adding another week or two of de-brief stateside at the end of Race (before returning home to family and friends). Something as varied and extraordinary as the World Race is, where you don’t spend the entire mission trip in one location, but are constantly on the move from one continent to another with so many different cultures and languages to adjust too, well, it only makes sense that re-entry would be more challenging than usual, also. With a state-side time of debrief, you’d be able to share the “strangeness” of returning to the American way of life with others who understand exactly what you’re feeling. It would also give you more time to process some of what the past year has been like, kind of get your thoughts together, maybe even organize some presentations to share at your home churches, etc., and recover from the jet lag too, before heading home to face the crowds of loving family and friends. And of course, you could re-connect with friends and family by phone during that final debrief. Anyway, just a thought (a rather long one, sorry about that!). I pray that you will be filled with peace and rest in the days ahead, you deserve it, you all do. And thank you so much for sharing this amazing year with all of us in cyber land. blessing to you always.
My dear friend, Talia…
Yesyou have just been through one of the most amazing and different years a person could imagine :-). I don’t need to hear any stories (I could tell you some of my own if you want), but would love to if you want to talk, and although I’m not local (too sad), I’d love to debrief in person (any Colorado trips planned?)…. hehehe. Don’t be too hard on yourself, it’s just been a week, and it will definitely take time. Often reverse culture shock takes 1/2 the time you were gone (read6 months), so although I hope it doesn’t take that long, know that it can.
You’re being prayed for, sister,
Di
Talia, I want to laugh at this, because this is so our world right now! Wow! I am actually NOT going to have to do these anymore?, at the moment it seems surreal. I can’t imangine how hard rentry is.This def. gave me some insight to consider as my months dwindle. 🙂 I will def. keep you in prayer for this time.
okay, so it was more just the community that it was appropriate to burp outloud in…the community here, doesn’t like it so much…:)
Loved following you this past year – you’re still being covered in prayer – but you already knew that :o)
I feel you sister! I actually took laundry soap from a place and put it in a water bottle, a little crazy, seriously weird. Oh well. How are you? Miss you lots!
I feel you sister! I actually took laundry soap from a place and put it in a water bottle, a little crazy, seriously weird. Oh well. How are you? Miss you lots!
I feel you sister! I actually took laundry soap from a place and put it in a water bottle, a little crazy, seriously weird. Oh well. How are you? Miss you lots!
I feel you sister! I actually took laundry soap from a place and put it in a water bottle, a little crazy, seriously weird. Oh well. How are you? Miss you lots!
Wow! Those are pretty hilarious. I am praying for you and know how to now. Thanks. I love you so much.
Hahahaha- these are so much better now that I know you!
(you mean you weren’t this “quirky” before you left? I find that hard to believe). LOVE YOU!
Hi Sweetie,
Call me sometime soon, I want to talk about re-entry!!!
I am praying for you!!!
Love you,
Carol
So proud of you, kiddo! You did great.
Just had to have the last word here….
did you get that thing that i sent you yestrday?????????
Just ending month three, I can’t even imagine being back home. I’ve heard a few past racers say that it was like waking up from a dream! Is it really not okay to sleep on the floor in Target?
Hey,
Email me so that we can get together, I have loved hearing about all of you and Gods adventures.