Back in the USA!!! (Part Two - St. Louis)

The St. Louis segment of my US visit was quite the adventure. For starters, it was the first time I'd done any real driving in about 14 months. Yep, 14 months - more than a year! I wasn't sure how I was going to handle it - it wasn't difficult really, but heavy-traffic situations were a bit overwhelming.

St. Louis has done some building since we left, so I was surprised to find roads that hadn't been there before and shops I hadn't seen before we moved. I even got lost at one point during the visit, ending up in Cahokia Illinois when I meant to go downtown! That was a shock to my system - getting lost in a town I'd called home for five years!

Despite a few setbacks, though, it was great to be back in mostly familiar surroundings. During the trip, I attended a wedding of a good friend, caught up with several other longtime friends, and paid a visit to the school where I started teaching. My goals for the trip were threefold: catch up with the people I missed, start looking into job prospects for my return, and eat more food that I'd missed. I was happy with the results of all three endeavors by the time I left. I know this sounds crazy, but I am very much looking forward to being able to work again. I'm not excited about the stress and sleep deprivation, but I miss having a career - the challenges, the feeling of contributing to the community, and of course the paycheck. So I was glad to start the search for work again - now ask me about this again in about eight months and see if I have the same outlook!

On the all-important food topic, I was able to revisit a few of my favorite places - Chue's Mexican restaurant being the best. Oh how I miss those delicious cheesy enchiladas, margaritas and the never-ending basket of tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole!!! I also made a point to visit Lion's Choice, since you can't get a hot, thin-sliced roast beef sandwich like that in Dublin, and there's no such thing as a Dr. Pepper.

Where, you may ask, was Nate throughout all of this? Well, while I satiated my various food cravings, Nate was busy catching up on what he missed most - American sports. In between his Thanksgiving celebration and catching up with friends and colleagues, Nate managed to cram in two professional football games, and a college football and basketball game. All this not to mention going back to his St. Louis office for a two-day work project before heading off to a work conference in Orlando Florida! Needless to say, it was a busy time for him, but he was in his element.

We returned to Dublin after 10 quick days, our suitcases laden with goods from our homeland. We're gearing up for our last three months here, and I know it will go fast. The part of me that misses home looks forward to the springtime, but the knowledge that we may never have an experience like this again makes me want to hang on to every moment we have left here.

Back in the USA!!! (Part One)

So sorry for the delay - we've been dealing with a little jet lag and catching up after being gone a week and a half!

Our most recent trip took us to our beloved homeland for Thanksgiving - it had been 11 months since we'd last touched American soil, so Nate and I were really looking forward to the visit. Since it was such a quick trip, we had to "divide and conquer" - that is, I returned to Indiana to visit my clan, while Nate headed off to Kansas City to reunite with his family. It was a happy reunion on both ends, but I can really only bear witness to my experience. I had a blast gorging myself on all our Thanksgiving favorites - complete with my mom's exquisite bread and veggie dip, my grandma's delicious deviled eggs, my aunt's fabulous cheesy potatoes (handed down from her mom), and my uncle's incredible assortment of pies - YUUUUMMM!!! So much fun eating and catching up and vegging in front of some football.

Another highlight of this holiday was the opportunity for me to meet my brother's girlfriend Lindsey - she handled the cavalcade of extended family rather well. We found that we shared a similar taste in books and broadway musicals, so we had plenty to talk about! Then of course came the Christmas preparations. The pics above and below are glimpses of my family's traditional post-Thanksgiving Christmas-tree decorating. A lot of effort goes into this, as you can see - from the light hanging to the star-straightening, to the final positioning of the tree. Lindsey and Craig's friend Nathan (see previous post of their visit to Ireland in July) also chipped in on the decorating, so the task was completed in record time. These are Nathan's photos by the way. Neither Nate (my husband) nor I took any pictures during this trip - shame on us!!!

The visit with my fam drew to a close after two short days, and I headed on to the second part of my journey - catching up with friends and colleagues in St. Louis! I'll save that for the next post. I just want to leave off saying that this was a particularly special Thanksgiving for me. I try to never take holidays for granted, but I was grateful to be able to get home, see all the people I care about so much, and enjoy a tradition that is unique to my culture. I am overwhelmed with the blessings that this year has brought us, and am eagerly looking forward to the adventures that await us when we return home next year. Happy Holidays everyone!!!