Fond Farewell...

{I originally typed this post into Microsoft Word yesterday around 2:00pm GST. Since I didn't have Internet access, I couldn't upload it until now. So pretend that I am still in England and not in my uber-comfy bed in Tulsa. Gracias.}

The past 72 hours have been a giant blur. An emotional, thrilling, saddening, exciting blurry blur. I'm sitting in Heathrow airport for the last time. Said goodbye to our flat. (Not too distraught over that! But still, it was our second home as a married couple.) Said goodbye to our friends. (Devastated over that part. But I hope we'll see them again. I'm cautiously optimistic.) Said goodbye to Cambridge. Now saying goodbye to the UK with an airport meal. PS - I'm like 95% sure I just saw Neve Campbell. (She's an actress for those of you who don't keep up with Hollywood.) At least, I think it was her. It was definitely someone famous, but I could be wrong about her name. I would not be a good employee at TMZ. Anyway...

I'm trying (failing) to sort through this dream to find reality again. Hubs and I have witnessed the spectacle that is a British monarch's Diamond Jubilee. We took our picture with the Olympic torch. Unsuccessfully, we attempted to track down royalty. Unbelievably, we have brought our total number of countries visited to 15. I feel like I have a split personality right now. On one hand, I'm ecstatic to settle back closer to home. On the other, I'm gutted to see this chapter of incredible adventure close. I'm thankful. Humbled. Honored. Blessed. Satisfied. Content. Eager. And expectant.

Don't you fret; this is not the end of the Okie emigrants' tale. Who knows what the next year will bring? But, it's going to be darn near impossible to top this one.

I recently read an online article entitled, "Returning Home: Letting Go of the Magic of Travel." Don't ask me how I stumbled upon it. The author very articulately summed up a lot of the chaos that is my current mental state.

"Often the wisdom we acquire during long journeys is most evident only after we’ve returned to where we began. Coming back to once-familiar territory highlights the changes that were too subtle to notice as they occurred. So there is no way of predicting how we will adjust once we’ve come “home” – or how well others will adjust to us... 

I’m filled with fear and excitement when I wonder if I’ll be a recognizable version of my former self, or whether I’ll be able to relate with people to whom I’ve already come to feel disconnected. Is it realistic to hope for the same heightened levels of experience I’ve enjoyed for so long? Will dashed dreams lead me to scramble restlessly for a way out again, or can I create a beautiful life at home? The world I have grown used to is about to be swept out from under my feet... 

If there is one thing I’ve learned while abroad, it’s that perspective is something we can change at any time and in all circumstances. With a little shift in thought, I can see that my return to the U.S. will be as adventure-laden as my departure." 

Here's to hoping that last sentence holds true.

Once I find some free time, I'll work on telling you about Italy and our last weekend in the UK. Honestly, it could take awhile to carve out that free time, but don't give up on me. I'll finish what I started. For now, I've got some family to hug. Some friends to catch up with. A dog to pet. A house to move. Sinful amounts of barbecue, Mexican food, sweet iced tea, and chocolate malts to ingest. Most importantly, I've got Jesus to thank for sending me and my best friend on the ride of our lives.