Does going home feel normal after being abroad?

​
Recently, I had the opportunity to return to America. Mainly I needed to return for my brother's wedding and I did not necessarily want to leave Poland, but the circumstances determined my actions and I had little choice in the matter. Although, I may joke about not wanting to return, I must first say that I was very lucky to even have the means to go back because I understand that many people would not have the option to do this, and I must count myself as fortunate that I was able to return. So, I was lucky that I could afford the plane tickets all the way from Poland to Florida. The journey to Florida was an adventure in itself. I had to spend a full night at the Copenhagen airport like a bum, and of course when I finally reached America I was very tired. I expected to be tired, but I was not prepared for my experience in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
     

​It was strange going back to America. Perhaps it is because I am not from Florida and it was my first time there. However, I think there is more to my experience than this. Firstly, it was strange to understand everyone all the time. My Polish is o.k. and I can generally get around and survive, but I certainly don't understand everything. So, going back to a place where I could understand every word of every conversation around me was a strange experience. In my first few hours back in the States I found myself listening to conversations around me, not because I wanted to but mainly because  some part of me  was pulled to the fact that i could understand everything. Honestly though, it kind of became boring. I had to go to some stores and purchase things, mainly medicine because I was sick. At these strores I found it uninteresting when I had to talk with the cashiers, it was mundane. I believe this is because in Poland there is excitement at every turn. Even while buying bread I can hear a word, phrase, or expression that is new to me. Where as in America this was not the case and this was kind of disappointing for me.

​Other than the conversations there were some other thigns I noticed. First of all the roads and infrastructure in America are different. Coming from the Polish context to the American style it was certainly strange. At the airport  I noticed on-going construction and the equipment and style of construction was completely different than in Poland. I think in Poland more work is done by hand, but in America there are more machines and machine-work. I even noticed some containers that were different. My mother purchased a gallon of orange juice for the place we were staying. I went to pour a cup from this gallon, and I was shocked at how big it looked. One gallon is about 3.75 liters, so you can imagine my surprise when  I saw this huge container of orange juice. I had forgotten about gallons until that point and it was weird to see such a large container.

​After a while I did feel more at home in America. However, my first few days back were a strange time. It could be I was jet-lagged. Maybe it was because Poland is starting to feel like a second home. Perhaps it was a combination of the two. Either way I enjoyed my brother's wedding and Fllorida quite a lot. However, I am also very happy to be back in Poland as well.