Yeah, so...we're home

Home is a relative term. It's where the heart is and usually where your bed is, too. It is weird to be "home." Perhaps it's because home requires a lot. New Zealand didn't require too much of me. No dates, or times. No hurry. Never once did we say, "Well if we dont get to insert place name by insert time/date, then we are going to be in some serious trouble." Flying by the seat of our pants was the preferred method of transportation. And it was a nice flight.

So far "Home"has just required a bunch of answers, some of which I don't have, yet. Answers to questions like, "Are you here just to visit?" To which I sarcastically reply, "I WISH!" with a laden sense of sadness, because just a visit would be great. I could see everyone I've missed, catch up on the past 7 months, then hop back on my pants seat and get back to my peanut-butter and jelly. (Peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches are the universal sign for a tight budget. Everytime I say that we ate a lot of PB&J, people just nod, instantly understanding how poor we really were. That never happens in kindergarten. PB&J is cool in kindergarten.)

It also seems everyone wants to know, "What's next?" Next? More? I have to keep going, and doing? I can't just sit around, enjoying the fact that I've taken care of the post-wedding "what's next?" I have to come up with another "What's next?"? Do the "What's Next?'s" ever end? Probably not. It seems that there is always a next house, or car, or job being sought after. Perhaps it is an american thing.

Being away from america teaches you the most about who you are, at least that has been my experience, being away from america and all. The rest of the world doesn't seem to think the same way that we do about things. The biggest difference is possibly worry. Kiwi's are always saying, "No worries." Maybe that's the way they remind themselves what they deem significant. Those crazy kiwi's get 4 weeks vacation, minimum. And they take everyday of it, never worrying about how work will ever function without them. We tried to explain the 2 weeks most americans get, and their heads almost exploded. Especially when we told them that some of us don't even use up our 10 little days. It think would just love the idea of 4 weeks of vacation. And I guarantee that we would have no idea what to do with it all. I've relayed this idea to folks here who replied, "4 weeks! I would rather work!" Really? I know that I wouldn't. But I also don't have a job right now, so everyday is a holiday. Hooray!

Maybe what I am trying to say is this: We Americans need to loosen up a little, not worry so much. So what if you take some time off and do something a little crazy. Go to Europe for a year. Rent your house while you're gone so you can make a little cash, for crying out loud. Buy a sail boat and sail down to Florida and back. Teach your kids how to swim, they can come too. If they can't learn how, teach them to put on a life jacket.

I'm sure I've forgotten some things while away, like the rewards of working hard. But I realized that the rewards of playing hard are pretty good too. Just go play a little. It's fun.