Returning to the States
Hilary and I are up early and leave just as Aimee comes down to say goodbye and the coffee finishes its final percolation. Aimee is sweet. She has hand drawn me a (heart shaped) kind note thanking me for my presence, love and intuition at her retreat and apologizes that we hadn’t had more time together but grateful that we shared tea and cake last night. I read the note later so cannot tell her yet that it had been a perfect and blessed week and I am grateful for her too.
We leave shortly after the goodbye hug via boat and car for the 5 hour trek to the airport that turns out to be a short 3 ½ hour ride to Guate. We are early. Too early to check in so we sit for coffee and Hilary shares and shares and I am like WOW what a story. What a frightening tale she tells. I am riveted by her past travel story from a few years back, one that thankfully ends happily for her and her friend but is terrifying. Her life so different than mine but fear a universal emotions and I am so caught up in her story it is like I was and am there!
At one point during the story a man comes over to show me that we have the same coffee container and I am so spooked by her scary travel story that I am very standoffish with him. This dude is just being friendly and doesn’t have the same cultural boundaries as you—relax I tell myself. I feel badly after he steps away and then he returns a few minutes later to use the plug behind me to charge his phone. He leaves his phone there and non-chalantly walks away to another table. I envy his cavalier trusting attitude. These days I am not feeling that way.
We make our way through security and have time for lunch before I see my strong younger friend, off for her flight, I spend the rest of the day in reflection as I make my way back to Knoxville for the night. If I were given the choice to do this again, spending time away from my family for Thanksgiving Holiday, would I do it? I am not sure. Given I have done it it is hard to say now. I just know that I have shaken things up and when you do so you bring more life to life. You appreciate your family more sometimes from afar. What I do know is next Thanksgiving I will be with them and will cherish them more than I would have if I hadn't been away for this one.
Hilary and I are up early and leave just as Aimee comes down to say goodbye and the coffee finishes its final percolation. Aimee is sweet. She has hand drawn me a (heart shaped) kind note thanking me for my presence, love and intuition at her retreat and apologizes that we hadn’t had more time together but grateful that we shared tea and cake last night. I read the note later so cannot tell her yet that it had been a perfect and blessed week and I am grateful for her too.
We leave shortly after the goodbye hug via boat and car for the 5 hour trek to the airport that turns out to be a short 3 ½ hour ride to Guate. We are early. Too early to check in so we sit for coffee and Hilary shares and shares and I am like WOW what a story. What a frightening tale she tells. I am riveted by her past travel story from a few years back, one that thankfully ends happily for her and her friend but is terrifying. Her life so different than mine but fear a universal emotions and I am so caught up in her story it is like I was and am there!
At one point during the story a man comes over to show me that we have the same coffee container and I am so spooked by her scary travel story that I am very standoffish with him. This dude is just being friendly and doesn’t have the same cultural boundaries as you—relax I tell myself. I feel badly after he steps away and then he returns a few minutes later to use the plug behind me to charge his phone. He leaves his phone there and non-chalantly walks away to another table. I envy his cavalier trusting attitude. These days I am not feeling that way.
We make our way through security and have time for lunch before I see my strong younger friend, off for her flight, I spend the rest of the day in reflection as I make my way back to Knoxville for the night. If I were given the choice to do this again, spending time away from my family for Thanksgiving Holiday, would I do it? I am not sure. Given I have done it it is hard to say now. I just know that I have shaken things up and when you do so you bring more life to life. You appreciate your family more sometimes from afar. What I do know is next Thanksgiving I will be with them and will cherish them more than I would have if I hadn't been away for this one.
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