Well it’s been about two weeks since I arrived in California and now it’s time to head home for a couple days. I’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon and should be home around 2 AM Saturday after adding on a 3 hour time difference, 1 hour bus wait, and 2 hour bus ride. I’m staying for the weekend and leaving at 6 AM Monday to be in the office by noon. While my trip so far has been very interesting I am so happy and excited to go home.
My first week was certainly a rollercoaster of emotions and my second one wasn’t much different, to my surprise. I had a much better handle on what I was doing at work, spent time with a co-worker, and went out with my team members, but I still missed home and was sad at times. I Face-timed home every night and even called separately on occasion but I still felt a deep yearning at times. I became listless and tired (and probably a bit depressed) and didn’t really know what to do with myself.
I’m introverted by nature, though people often tell me that they see me as an extrovert. That’s because I can be social when it is necessary, especially if someone prompts me. I’m not great at initiating conversations but will participate in them if invited. Living with someone for so long and having a family has chipped away at my natural inclinations in a good way; while I do like my private time I don’t like to have nearly as much as I used to. A few hours feels good but after that I want to see people again, especially my family.
It’s been a big adjustment for me to learn what to do with my spare time. Many things just aren’t fun alone. I ate dinner and lunch alone a couple of times; it was fine, but it was not fun. I stared at my phone the whole time. I watched some movies on Netflix and caught up on our DVR but that isn’t nearly as much fun as watching with Sally and commenting to each other. I surfed the internet and went a little crazy on Facebook because again, I don’t have anyone to talk to in my hotel room. Even our daily chat is a bit tough because I’m trying to catch up on Sally’s day, tell her about my day, and say goodnight to the boys in 30 minutes so that I can get back to work (I call at 4:30 PST). My co-worker was probably overwhelmed by me this week because I was so chip-chirpy since I had someone to talk to.
I’m definitely learning what to do with myself and slowly becoming more productive with my free time, but I’m at a good point for a check-in at home. I’m excited to see Sally, the boys, our house, Holly, and my car among other things. We don’t have solid plans for the weekend but have some tentative ideas. I really want to respond to what everyone else wants to do. Maybe we just want to sit around on Saturday to play Legos and color but go out on Sunday. Maybe it’s the opposite. I just want to spend time at home and reconnect. And I want to sleep in my own bed – hotel beds suck.
Relatively Ambitious 