back home

Yes, it is sort of strange to be home, after nine months away. Everything here is so fast, so quick and efficient (and this is san francisco, not even new york!) I got off the second leg of my flight in London-Heathrow around breakfast time and went to a bagel stand to get some breakfast. No sooner had I placed my order than a piping hot bagel with cream cheese and fresh tomatoes appeared in front of me and I had a lady asking me if I wanted to pay in pounds, euros or dollars. I couldn’t believe it! The whole process took less than a minute! Back in maun it would have been a twenty minute wait for the bagel (oh but wait they don’t even have bagels), and then something would have happened like the cash register paper roll breaking that would have meant whatever I had ordered would have gotten cold and soggy while I waited for the lady to attempt to fix it.
The weirdest part was driving back to our house on Harvard Road. It’s a funny thing how being away for a while can make you look at a place that is so familiar and constant with a new perspective. I had forgotten how nice the houses are in Baywood! And the lawns, I just couldnt get over how beautifully manicured everyones’ gardens are, like out of a movie or sit-com. Not a speck of dust or brown anywhere, just blooming flowers, dark green grass and healthy-looking tall trees. And where is all the rubbish littering the road? Our town is certainly very clean, I don’t think I ever appreciated that before.
Everyday life here is so convenient, so organized and ordered. I keep moving my hand to change the gears in the Volvo, only to realize that the car will do it for me. And I don’t need to roll down the windows because there’s air-con. And you can order things with the dressing on the side, or extra avocado, and they actually understand what you mean and do it. Its brilliant, and at the same time a little unnerving. Like it’s not supposed to be this easy; something of the unexpected is missing here.
But for all its complexities, it is nice to be home and seeing friends and family. Not sure what I’m doing next (anyone have a job related to wildlife conservation for me?), but I’ll keep you posted...