Headin' Back!

So, in just 6 days, we will be on a plane heading back to Texas -- at least for a while. This was definitely not a planned thing, but due to N's continued weight loss and the Hong Kong doctors suggestions, we feel like going back to America and having a change of environment might be the best thing for now. It's a strange feeling knowing that in a few days, we will be surrounded by grass, trees, quiet, countryside, family, friends, good home-cookin', etc, etc, etc. I'll be able to see my sister who just found out she is pregnant with her third child and be able to share the joys (or un-joys!) of pregnancies with her for a while. I'll be able to see my 6 year old niece and 1 1/2 year old nephew (whom I have only seen a few days at a few weeks old before moving here). We'll be leaving friends here who we have been building relationships with lately, but we know they are being left in the good hands of our American friends (who are learning sign language to hopefully work in the schools soon). They just found out they are pregnant too, so we are a little sad that we will miss so much of each other's pregnancies. So many mixed emotions! Leaving here (temporarily or not) is nothing like moving halfway across America -- you are definitely moving worlds, moving cultures, moving away from everything you have experienced or seen during the past 18 months. It is hard to imagine us going through "reversal" cultural shock (cultural shock when you go back to the States), but it will probably happen in some ways, ways that we can't imagine right now. I will say that although America has problems and is not perfect in any ways, I LOVE America and feel incredibly blessed to be an American citizen. I hope I never take my citizenship, my country, my people for granted again. America (and Texas!), here we come!