George left June 15. I had no idea how difficult it would be to be here alone. I can hardly stand it. If I weren't already leaving, I would quit.

I've been back just over a week and so, so grateful to be here. I feel as if I barely escaped. People want me to put my experience into a few words, preferably positive I think, and I struggle a bit, mostly saying as little as possible because somehow it's just too hard to put 2 years into a sentence or two. I am changed, no doubt. I'm more patient I think. Traffic, surprisingly, doesn't seem to bother me, but I've managed to get around the worst of it so far. I think I judge less based on appearances, or at least catch myself when I see myself starting to do it. With no clear idea of what lies ahead and the prospect of increasing bills as I take back over my home and car payments, I'm amazingly calm, knowing that everything will soon fall into place as it always does. I'm a little dismayed about how every square inch of property here seems to be covered in tract homes, and the freeways really are a mess with all this construction going on. But I'm thrilled to be seeing my friends again and even making new acquaintances already. For now at least, there is nowhere else that I'd rather be.

On Saturday, my first day home, I had not yet gotten my car back and so decided to take a walk down to the grocery store. As I started back, I was noticing the beauty in the even, concrete sidewalks, unbroken asphalt roads, and trimmed green lawns (things that I had never truly appreciated before). As I began to cross the street at a main intersection and before I had even gotten half way across, a car pulled up to turn in front of me and instead stopped to wait for me to pass. Pedestrian right-of-way, wow it's been a long time! I had a huge grin on my face the rest of the way - I knew then that I was home!

Home. If there is anything that I really learned to appreciate, that is it. I was always surprised by different people's yearnings for home, especially when it was anything other than what I imagined home to be. I somehow thought that everyone in Antigua was at some level trying to get out of there, but I met plenty of people who didn't want to be anywhere else, and when they traveled off-island, couldn't wait to return. We all have a place that calls us back and after too long an absence, I have returned.

So I am done. Maybe if I think of something insightful in the future, I'll add it, but for now at least, goodbye. Thank you for reading.