To the mitten and back again

I just slept for 12 hours.

So much was packed in the last week I hardly know where to begin. I traveled all over Michigan - from Detroit to Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor to East Lansing and back to Detroit. In just six days.

It was great to be home and see so many familiar faces. The whole "coming home" experience was a bundle of emotions. I was able to see a lot of friends and family, which was wonderful. But being home was also a reminder that my previous home is not really home anymore. It will never be quite like it used to - and that's ok - it is just confirmation that I am, in fact, growing up and moving on.

At certain points during my trip, I did find myself missing my roommates and my routine in Boston. (I'm actually not dreading going back to work tomorrow! It will be a shortened week for the new year - we close two hours early tomorrow and we're closed on Tuesday.)

But I definitely felt sad saying goodbye to Michigan. For some reason, leaving felt more permanent. The first three months I was in Boston, I always knew I'd be back to Michigan for Christmas. And now, there's more uncertainty - I have no idea when I'll be back in Michigan again.

Fortunately, I had a beautiful flight home. It was something I'd never experienced before: we flew just above endless fluffy, white clouds and they covered the entire sky so that it was a white horizon all around me. It looked like snow as far as the eye can see - without a single other element to disturb the vastness. The scene was so pure and infinite that it gave me feelings of hope and possibility.

Well, it was great seeing those of you who I was able to see and I'm sorry to anyone that I wasn't able to visit this time.

And thanks to those of you who are still reading this blog! Sometimes I wonder if I'm talking to myself, so it was a surprise to hear so many of you keep up with the entries. Now I have to unpack...

Happy New Year!