Home Again, Home Again

*continuation of our return travels

We made it back to the London airport with plenty of time to grab our carry-ons, go through security, and make our gate. It had been a lovely day, but at that point we were just ready to be home. The next 8 hours of flying brought us to Chicago. It’s always an interesting feeling going through customs; being allowed back into your home country. I was coming back to the familiar, but not everything was the same; I had changed and my perspective was different.

The first things I noticed when arriving in the airport were the Christmas decorations and snowflake lights along the highway outside the airport. It was the most Christmas-y I had felt all break. I was hit by the difference between the O’Hare and the Nairobi airports. One was cold and enclosed; the other was warm and open.

There are always little things that stick out when assimilating back into American culture. With India, I had only been gone a week, but I was coming back from an entirely different Eastern culture. This time I was gone nearly four weeks, but I had been in a most Westernized country. In both cases, I noticed different things. Both times were difficult in different ways.

One thing that always gets me is the hesitancy I have with drinking water out of the fountain. I almost feel guilty. “Is it safe? Am I ok drinking this? I can’t drink this; it’s not filtered.” Haha! “Oh, wait. We’re in America. It’s fine. Get a grip.”

Another thing I noticed this time was the prevalence of disposable wrappers, cups, bag, etc . with the fast-food restaurants. The portion sizes were also much larger and I could tell the difference in the healthiness of the food. I thought it odd when everyone was going on and on about how much healthier the food in Kenya was – how they could tell the difference from school to home, there were less preservatives, etc. I didn’t understand and didn’t notice the difference going from America to Kenya. But from Kenya to America I could taste and feel the difference in my body as I was eating the food. And then everything they said finally made sense.

Our layover in Chicago was only 2 hours, so we were soon on the plane for Springfield. Although we were delayed in leaving due to a problem with the lights in the cabin that had to be fixed, I didn’t notice. I was asleep before we took off and stayed asleep until just before landing. When we arrived in Springfield, a good friend from school and one of my new roommates was there to pick us up. It was great to see her after our 37 hours of travel. It was snowing and icy. What a change from the 70 degree weather and sunshine of Kenya! On our way out of the airport parking lot, we even spun out on the ice. The rest of the trip back to Evangel was uneventful and soon we were greeting the girls in the dorm. I spent the night with Ruthie one last time in Walther.

The trip to Kenya was amazing. Besides amazing, there are many other adjectives I could use to describe it: unforgettable, life-impacting, humbling, stretching, and rewarding. I hope throughout these posts you have been able to develop a respect for the Kenyans, the people who work and serve in this beautiful country, and the M’s who love the people they have chosen to live with. I’m sure what I’ve experienced and have tried to relate barely touches the surface, but I’ve made a good effort and it’s certainly a good beginning.