Life in the foreign service is peculiar. I often feel like I live two separate lives. There is my "American life" - the one where I live off of starbucks and can solve most of my life problems with a trip to target. Then there is my "foreign service life" - the one that finds me sprinting through an airport in Mumbai or arguing with tuk tuk drivers over a fare. Presently, I find myself in both worlds and I am honestly struggling with how to maneuver that. I am sure this is a rookie emotion. More seasoned Foreign Service families have probably found ways to adjust. I would love to know their secret. We just arrived back in Sri Lanka from our two month R&R in Alabama. I honestly love Alabama. It's our home. It always will hold a connection for us. But now we are back in Sri Lanka. And I must say it wasn't a pleasant initial welcoming. The sounds, the smells, they caught me off guard, sent me back to my initial days of insecurity in this new culture. How quickly we became reacclimated into our former American lifestyle. I use the word initially, because I am home now. sitting on my couch in my living room and I feel good. I feel like I belong here. I feel like this is a good place to be. I feel ready for another year in this country and I feel content with my life - both sides of it.
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