Thailand was wonderful! I was hot all the time, and ate all kinds of very strange foods (most of which were delicious, but some of which I will be happy never to see again!) and met or worked with all kinds of wonderful and interesting people. It was... restful, stressful, stimulating, exhausting, and above all a powerful experience. I thought a lot about being an immigrant, about what it means to be literate and illiterate, about what it means to be part of a culture or apart from a culture... All the stuff that travel does. ("travel broadens the mind" and all that.)
But it is great to be back!
I got off the plane a little over a week ago, and went immediately to Janet's where all my Chicago stuff is stored. I can't tell you how exciting it was to pull out a pair of jeans, t-shirts made of cotton (as opposed to the fast drying, wicking ones I took on my trip), even socks! And sweaters! WOW! I'm loving being a little bit cold after three months of sweating all the time. It amazes me, not being sticky at night when I go to bed.
I am also amazed by the lack of culture shock I am experiencing. Thailand and the US are very different, and yet... it doesn't feel all that different here. I am not sure why. The strangest thing, the thing that freaks me out, is the sun. In Thailand, the sun always rises between 5:30 and 6:00 am, it always sets between 6:30 and 7:00pm. It is dark(!) by 8:00pm. Here, the sun doesn't set until after 7:00pm. It doesn't get dark until 9:00pm or so. It is very strange, and disturbs me: I can't tell time by the sun anymore!
As much as I loved being in Thailand, I LOVE being home.
It's all the little things, like knowing which way to look before crossing the street, or what is in my food, or the sub-text in a conversation, or having a conversation at all. These are the things that make being home restful and comforting. These are the things that make me think I am happy not traveling, settling down, getting a job... To that end I attended a conference -- the American Association of Museums conference -- all of last week. It was interesting. Lots of different museums and perspectives on museums. The goal was to explore, and possibly find a job in, exhibit development.
But I've been bitten by the bug. I'm not sure I really want to settle down and be mature and find job and all that. I want to keep traveling! So, I'm not sure what I will do. I have no plans. A very strange, and potentially dangerous place to be!
