Inhabiting Space

I think I haven't written since I like to keep looking at the chilling in PDX post and reminiscing about my R&R and making it back to the fresh West Coast air.

Overall it was a very nice trip to Oregon, though too short. It was more of a family visit then a lounge on the beach kind of R&R, but it was just what I wanted.

Some highlights.

We visited the property where I grew up on a commune until I was almost five. It was great to share this with James and have him learn a bit more of where I come from.

We also did the rounds of seeing most of mine and James' families. It's always good to check in and reconnect. Ironically, as I live in Kabul, I've now been for more visits in the past year then in the previous four years living in Washington. Go figure.

We moved my twin sis to their new place, "the big house" as my nephew likes to call it. This of course put James & I into a tailspin of looking for real estate opportunities in Portland and dreaming of getting back there eventually.

Soon the time had come for me to go. I sadly said my goodbyes and headed off into my favorite airport on the planet (PDX Rocks!) As my luck had it, my day in London with a dear friend was interrupted by "light rain" in Chicago that delayed my flight by eight hours and rerouted me entirely. The silver lining is that I got another dinner with my sis and her fam.

Though not for the meek at heart, traversing the world is an experience that I would put as a must do. If you think you've done your time in the air on a trip to Europe, you haven't been anywhere. Once you've been on a flight where you can watch six full length films and still have time to read, you can earn your wings. Not to mention two back to back red-eyes.

There is something surreal about traveling that far to return to another life. Comfortable in both lives, they feel oddly contradicting to each other. As if it shouldn't be possible to inhabit two places so remote in that period of time. While my jet lag on this return has actually been the best so far in coming to Kabul, the perception that I'm holding space in multiple realities remains.

I guess the good news is that tonight I had a nice evening with colleagues on the balcony having a couple of drinks. It was good to decompress. When I reflect though, it still feels odd how natural it is to move from one life to another. I guess that is what I've done my whole life in traveling as I have.

Obviously it's time for me to hit the sheets. I'll keep my rambling muses as they are for your entertainment.

Cheers,

Miel