Traveling back to the states was surreal. As I felt like I was sleeping and eating, sleeping and eating for hours on end sitting on the plane. I was happy to see family and friends back home, but at the same time, I was sad to say goodbye to the people I’ve been doing life with for a year.
On November 22nd, 2021 we landed at the JFK airport in New York, walked to baggage claim, and said most of our goodbyes. It was bittersweet as I thought; this is coming to an end. Several others and I took a taxi to LaGuardia airport 30 minutes away since Southwest (the airline I have rewards with) doesn’t go to JFK. I continued to say goodbye to others, meanwhile, 3 of us had the same flight to Baltimore; my destination, but their layover to Texas. What a sweet gift to sit together and watch the show Friends on our flight!
Once we landed, I said my final goodbyes to my friends. I walked through the airport of what was a distant memory of me arriving there in January 2021 ready to leave for the World Race and saying goodbye to my parents. I waited for what seemed like a long time for my bags and took them outside. Since I had been chasing summer all year round, the outside temperature was a rude awakening for me.
A few minutes later my parents pulled up to the curb and greeted me with hugs and helped me put my things in the car. The first stop was Chick-Fil-A! I missed this fast food chain and craved it often on my trip. Then we went home where I got to see the dogs, sleep in my bed again, enjoy time with family and eat food I missed. To simply enjoy what I didn’t have for 11 months.
The rest of November and December was a blessing to enjoy life; catch up with friends and family, adjust back to American culture, etc. I am grateful for this time to not jump into a full-time job. But man, some things were hard to adjust back into American culture. I started back working with my parents to make some money. I knew coming back to the states, with covid, that I did not want to go back into teaching right away in the middle of the school year. I struggled with the fact that teaching wasn’t the same with the restrictions of covid. Maybe this upcoming school year; who knows!
And that was a wrap of 2021!
