On Leaving.............and Returning

It's 3am and here I sit in a hotel in Westchester, waiting to return to a normal sleep cycle. The process will be slowed down by a child who has the unique talent of waking up just as I am about to fall asleep - desiring food, drink, cartoons or just a playmate until she tires again.

I am happy I have flown my last 13 hour flight for a long time. I was in heaven in the Stop n' Shop, being able to read all the labels - a quick trip for some staples ended up being close to an hour as I gazed at all of the products that have been introduced since I left. Being literate is a wonderful thing. We are busy house hunting - the decisions are endless. We can't wait to see our old friends - it has been way too long.

But there is sadness too. Prior to leaving Japan, we had to say goodbye to our friends there. While we intend to keep in touch, the reality is we will lose touch with some - and probably not the ones we wouldn't mind losing touch with. Rather, the ones that were meaningful in some way. I left the women who listened during the last few months of our wait for Ariana; waited impatiently for our return from China; commiserated over the misadventures of potty training; sympathizes over the effects of "one too many" at Karaoke. The friendship were made quickly - and deeply, and I will not see them for a long time. And that is sad.

On the other hand, I am learning to love the east coast all over again, warts and all. I witnessed my first verbal fight on the street today - a male pedestrian and a female driver going at it for all to hear. I will have to get used to the dirty and rumpled dollar bills while fondly remembering the perfectly clean and crisp yen notes in Japan. Where does all of the crumpled money go in Japan? Everyone here is much, much nicer than I remember - perhaps because we are spending most of our time outside NYC.

And English - all the time.