It's been almost three weeks since we stepped our feet on US soil and for about the last six days I found myself putting the word BLOG in bold uppercase on the top of my to-do list. I'm telling myself that once such and such (cleaning out the basement, dropping off things at donation, returning ordered items, organizing the garage, reconnecting with family & friends, re-hanging picture frames, etc.) is done, then I will. While coming back after a nearly 10-month stretch has gone mostly smoothly, it has been overwhelming. Unpacking our house (everything personal was in storage in our basement while we rented it out) and re-entering into familiar, yet strange territory has left us in awe, even a little dumbstruck. The truth is, we're still in the thick of processing and transitioning. We're all a little unsure of what to say when someone asks "How was Mexico?" and that is okay. It's nearly impossible to put into words when you feel like a piece of your heart will forever be in another place. It wasn't nearly 10 years, but still, we built new lives there, and it was our home.
There is a finality in writing this post. It means that this planned, but unexpected journey we started, or at least this chapter, is over. We look forward to hopefully writing more chapters set in Merida in the future, whether for work, pleasure, or perhaps even to live. However, we recognize that it will never be quite the same. We've said it before and will again: "never say never and never say always." It is also bittersweet because this medium of sharing, through, words and pictures our more or less everyday life is going to return to "normal." We'll post on social media the occasional birthdays, our visits to cool places we are privileged to travel to and try to be funny and maybe even political once in a while. Still, honestly, I don't envision sitting down, pausing, and putting into phrases and text in this way while we go about life here in Iowa. What a shame it is that I already see us getting sucked into the cultural malaise where busyness is the primary symptom.
For now, as we gaze out at the lush green landscape of the Midwest, watching the kids gleefully play with their neighborhood friends, we feel a deep sense of being "at home" and are overwhelmingly grateful. We are thankful for our dear friends in Mexico and our family and friends here in the US who cheered us on and opened their arms to come home. We are thankful for blissful moments spent at parks and birthday parties in Mexico and we are thankful for our own grill and porch. We are so appreciative of the challenges of navigating family life in our non-native language in Merida and love being able to exchange glances and phrases that only a Midwesterner really understands here in Iowa City. Let's just say we feel lucky and blessed. It has been both difficult and wonderful. We are forever changed, but mercifully and gracefully we are still us. So, as the summer rolls on, a final and very sincere thank you for reading and following along since last August. PLEASE keep in touch. Un abrazo fuerte (a big strong hug).
I am going to miss reading this blog! I always looked forward to each edition of life with
the Dehners. So glad you all are back home safe and sound!