All in all, it's been a nice summer. We've briefly escaped to the mountain resort of Moganshan to celebrate our five year anniversary, caught up with family and long-standing friends (both in China and in the US), and traveled well worn paths back in the US, pilgrims down memory lane. I've even found myself slipping into a subtle southern accent on occasion.
Since I've been home, I continually find myself balancing remembering and forgetting. Especially the first few days I was home, I remembered how this country impacts my five senses: the taste of blueberries and burritos, the smell of freshly cut grass, the sound of high school marching bands practicing, the sight of acres of lush green grass (i.e. land that has so far escaped development), and the touch of the soft fur of my parents' dog. All of these experiences have seemed more vibrant to me after 11 months away. It really is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder!
While part of my time at home is about remembering, I've also found I have forgotten some things, as well. I've forgotten how much energy we as Americans use (we really do have quite a lot of appliances, don't we?), how we are pummeled every day with advertisements to BUY, BUY, BUY, how we sometimes find ourselves paralyzed by too many choices (whether with toppings at the sandwich lunch shop, in the toothpaste aisle at the grocery store, or reading reviews for products online). I must confess that I've occasionally felt a bit assaulted since being back by consumption overload. I remember now that some aspects of US culture I willfully forget when I'm in China.
This willful forgetfulness also works in reverse: almost daily in China, Brian and I joke that we have accumulated yet another story to tell at dinner parties for the rest of our lives. I feel like I have an amusing, absurd, painful, and/or extreme anecdote for almost every day we've been in China the past 11 months. Upon arriving back in the US, however, I find it incredibly difficult to remember many of these stories. I actually feel more introverted back home in some ways, and content to enjoy simple pleasures such as the library, vibrant sunsets, thrift stores, walks on forested trails, and baking well-loved desserts.
Perhaps I am using the relatively quieter atmosphere to contemplate and to reflect. Perhaps some of the stories and emotions from our first year in China continue to incubate until I fully know how to express them. I'm not sure why I'm having trouble remembering at the moment, but for now, I'll continue to enjoy the quiet and colors of my home country.