Waiting at the nearly-there

I'm sitting at Chicago's O'Hare airport for the umpteenth time, again waiting on a delayed flight. I should, at this moment, be somewhere in the air over the US on my way to Tokyo en route to my little island-nation. Instead, I'm working on a paper, returning emails, and hoping that the delay doesn't stretch beyond the predicted five hours.

I'm ready to be home.

The rest of my time in Boston was lovely and interesting and delightful and fun, and I had a wonderful time catching up with family and friends in the warm(er) southlands over the last few days. But I am So. Ready. to be home. To be back in my office, on the bus or the bike, drinking coffee at my coffeeshop, cooking quinoa and black beans in my kitchen. I like my routines. I love to travel and explore, but after a month I want to be home. Putting aside the discombobulation of living out of a suitcase, depending on others for rides, and constantly pulling out a map. Settling back in.

Three more hours until the flight, 14 hours in the air, and a layover somewhere in there. Let's get going.

Mid-way

It's been a whirlwind North American trip thus far. I've taken no pictures, seen no great sights, and experienced no once-in-a-lifetime moments. What I have done is catch up with old friends, wander around some of my favorite cities, visit some of my favorite places, and dive deeply into the life that I've missed since I left. It's been good. So good. Damn, I know some interesting, lovely, and delightful people!

The funny thing, though?

I actually find myself missing Singapore.

I do miss things here. Being in Chicago (in my old apartment building, no less, with my old neighbors who I miss SoMuch) made me remember how much I love it there. DC is always a good place to wander, and the Ethiopian food was something I've sorely missed. Toronto was lovely and snowy and beautifully Canadian, and I had forgotten (in the ten years since I've been here) how stunning and compact Boston is. The overwhelming feeling I've had since being back is "cozy" - something I rarely experience on the Red Dot. There's something about coming in from a cold day to take off the coat and gloves and scarf and boots. Something about curling up under a blanket with a book or the computer (because work must get done, of course) on my lap. Something about seasons and short days and long nights. I can't live forever without snow and wool and soup.

But my life is in Singapore now. My things, my routines. I'm loving this trip and everything about it. But I will be ready to return home when the time comes. I often find myself looking back, trying to make sense of the stories in my past, working to identify patterns and continue the good ones while halting the bad ones. I don't always do a great job of that, and I sometimes get stuck. Now is the time to appreciate where I am, and look forward to the future. Working on it.

Working on it.