Recovery

I'm only just recovering from my Christmas holiday.

While it was really great to be in Montana and to see my family and friends, that just made it harder to leave.

I cried when I got off the plane, cried at least twice at my birthday, and for almost the entire way to Salt Lake on the way back.

Of course, one can't cry for a full 14 hours of flying, 8 hours of layover, and 2 hours of train rides. So my eyes had dried up and I was looking forward to getting back to see my friends.

One phone-call later and I was all a mess again.

Somewhere over the Atlantic, my Grandpa was rushed to the hospital and the surgeon couldn't save him. I keep thinking if it'd happened just a few hours earlier I could've flown from Salt Lake out to my family. Or, a little earlier than that and I would've gone with my parents from Montana. But I didn't find out until I made my way to Dundee.

I guess if either of the first options had happened, I may have just not bothered coming back here at all. On the one hand the living overseas thing is a great experience. I've met a lot of people and learned a lot. The science is good too.

But it's terribly difficult to be so far from home. As I flew out over those Rocky mountains I couldn't help but think I was leaving one of the most beautiful places on earth. And I was lucky enough to grow up there. And I've been lucky enough to globe trot for the past 9 years. But I've missed out on two funerals now. I've missed some births too.

It's getting harder each time to leave, and harder to stay so far away.