LifeInContrast.com

So we’ve been back in the USA for about 3 weeks now. When we first arrived, both Denise and I remarked at how clean and fresh the air smelled. And we were in the airport garage!

Lynnwood (and even Seattle sometimes) is definitely quieter than Bandung. It feels like there’s no one around. Nobody on the streets, no street-side vendors. But the natural beauty is incredible, especially the pine trees and snow-capped mountains.

Transportation is challenging if Denise has the car. I’m used to being able to hop a motorcycle taxi (ojek) or minibus (angkot). Now I have to wait (and wait) for buses, and then walk after that in the cold. Thankfully it warmed up considerably last weekend.

Constantly I find myself wanting to cross in the middle of the street, whenever I feel like it. I have to remind myself to wait at the crosswalk like a good little pedestrian, which can be slightly frustrating. But walking around downtown Seattle has been nice, seeing my city through the eyes of a tourist who happens to know where everything is. It really is a beautiful city.

Yesterday we pored through the contents of our storage unit. It was like winning the lottery, or being on a game show where all the prizes are things you’ve picked out yourself! We packed so quickly last year that in some cases we had completely forgotten what treasures lay in the boxes. We’ll be taking some of this stuff back to Bandung, now that we’re accustomed to what we need and what’s available over there.

Is it surreal? Yeah, you bet. In a way, everything seems calmer here, less hectic, less people. And everyone understands me, everywhere I go. I don’t have to think about communicating. We’re enjoying the slower pace of life, even if the days are flying by.