With New Eyes

Yesterday morning I left Nairobi and as I was traveling home I looked at everything around me with new eyes. I just imagined being a person living in the village, or in a not so modern town, and what they would see for the first time if they traveled to Canada. Here are things I saw or experienced:

• Getting a hot towel to wash your hands and face with before and after a meal.
• Riding on escalators or moving walkways.
• Reading departure and arrival computers and understanding why flights are delayed.
• Seeing the huge sandy Sahara desert and towering Alps.
• Listening to different languages and meeting so many people from around the world.
• Browsing through posh shops that are selling just "stuff" to take to your destination at the very last minute.
• Eating foods like lamb, quiche, chocolate pudding, stroop waffles, and gargonzola pasta.
• Watching constant movies or television at 38,000 feet in the air.
• Understanding the planes need to be de-iced.

Now I have been home about 18 hours and it feels strange. With a push of a button, four loads of laundry was done. Food is being reheated in a microwave. The gas fire place quickly heats up a room and creates a beautifully relaxing mood. 600 channels could fill my day. Internet is constant. The dishwasher begs to be loaded. And snow lazily falls outside the window.

I'm curious to see how I adjust to life back here in North America without forgetting my time in Uganda. I would like to peacefully and purposefully join the two together.