Miniature Musings: Going a Foreign

In Jamaica, international travel to countries like the US, Canada or England is simply “going a foreign”. The place itself if rarely specified, to live outside of Jamaica or the West Indies is just being “at” Foreign.

So this past Thursday I left for a very frosty Foreign with a basically empty suitcase and the calm acceptance that “home” is now a decidedly ambiguous term in my vocabulary.

After some very fortunate plane rides that put me at a window seat and next to some friendly and engaging passengers, I landed in the dark cold northland and hoped that my parents remembered to bring me socks and a coat. I hugged my sisters for the first time in 10 months and proceeded to the parking garage, where my canine counterpart leaped into my arms to my great surprise.

The first 12 hours of being home were a strange warp of “nothing is different” and “wow that’s different”- different not only referring to different from Jamaica, but also different from when I left. Like, the iPhone 5 is super thin and Mackelmore’s
‘Thrift Shop’ actually plays on the radio. My father knows about more youtube videos than I do and my baby sister is constantly “snap chatting” on her smart phone (when did this become a thing??)

So, instead of filling this post with tons and tons of anecdotes with floury writing and too much description, I’m just going to list the things that I achieved on my “to do before I go back” list.

- Fist, and probably easiest: go to Starbucks- During my first visit to a Starbucks, the smell upon entering was so intoxicating that my heart actually started beating faster.

- Go to NYC (and see Newsies on Broadway)

- Go Shopping: overwhelming and irrelevant as winter wear and convenient electronics are just not things required in Jamaica.

- Go for Hikes with friends and with dog: check, check and check again

- See hometown friends AND college friends: Some of my college friends surprised me my first night home by showing up during dinner! Then I drove down to PA to see a few more lovely faces Smile

- Spend time with my sisters, by driving the youngest to Boston for her second semester of college.

- See some extended family, which is hard when everyone spreads out across NY, and the entire country

- Ride a Horse: oh yes I did, and well (thank god since dad was watching)

- Drink good beer: I didn’t drink the same beer twice, I love how crafted beer is like, so in right now.

- Get a Kindle

- Sit at the coffee shop where the hometown friends assemble. Just like old times.

- Catch up on my favorite TV shows

- Eat an assortment of: Bagels, Pizza, (goat) Cheese and cheese based products, Coffee, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, pretzels, apple pie and Muffins

- See a snowfall: the morning I left we got two inches of snow and the flakes were still falling when we drove down the driveway.

14 days was just long enough to do the things I wanted without feeling too overwhelmed. I was also able to do some serious cross-cultural educating while home; family and friends were so curious about what I do and what living in Jamaica is like. I even spent the entire connecting flight from Orlando to NY answering the questions of the very enthusiastic (and possibly tipsy) soccer dad sitting next to me. Take THAT Volunteer Report Form!

By the time it was time to leave, I was ready. Being home was a great indicator of how integrated I’d become as I told animated stories and caught myself saying “yeah man” way more than any American would. I have people in Jamaica expecting me back, and I was missing things that I realized being home, feel familiar to me now.

So now I’m back, and the sun has cooled down from it’s usual summer fury, accompanied by that refreshing Christmas breeze carrying the scent of hundreds of flowers and the sound of the songbirds who retreated to the warmth for the winter. Yesterday I was so content sitting on the side of the road with my man, I couldn’t stop smiling like a complete goofball, because I’m glad to know that I’m glad to be back.