Home sweet home

Hello, computer. I have missed you. I'm sorry that we have only had a few fleeting glances over the past few days, but I understand that your relationship with my hard-working hubby is of greater importance than this here little bloggy. Thank you for returning to me, even if it is only for 30 minutes.

As promised, the "post" I wrote a few days ago...

I am having one of those rare mommy moments of complete independence. This is only the second time since arriving in this country that I have ventured out on my own, sans baby or hubby. So I did what any female in her right mind does with some yummy free time - shop and eat. Specifically, I went shopping for baby items and munched on some good ol' American McD's.

Life is finally feeling normal here. Last week, after spending several hours in Seoul, our friend Ansley drove us home. It was in the midst of this drive that I won a small mental victory. The entire way home, I honestly had no idea where we were or how far we were from Cheonan. Were it not for the ever-reliable GPS in Ansley's car, I might have even panicked a little bit. But as soon as we arrived in the city, I immediatly recognized where we were. But not only that; I also recognized in myself a sense of relief that we were finally "home" - and not just "home" as in "my house" but "home" as in "our hometown."

Something about that small mental/emotional event has changed my mentality here. I am suddenly recognizing that the things that once felt overwhelming and exhausting have become normal and mundane. Trips to the store are no longer scary, uncertain, three-hour ordeals. Even going across town to a mega-store by myself (like I did tonight) is a peaceful, enjoyable event.

I'm not really sure when it happened, but suddenly (and finally!) Cheonan has become home. I honestly can't think of one "new" thing that happened this week, and I find great delight in that fact.

And it's not just that the city has become more familiar to us, but I think we have become more familiar to the city too. People who once stared and gawked at our every move, now greet us like old friends: the lady at the grocery store, the guy at Dunkin Donuts, and the English-speaking gentleman in the toy store.

We're really starting to find our groove here. Luckily, someone told us about this. They said, "The first month is a whirlwind. The second month is very difficult. But by the end of the third month, you will realize that you're going to be ok."

And that's almost exactly how it happened, my friends. I'm sure there will still be new "adventures," and I'm sure we're not finished growing and stretching. But for right now, it's nice to just be home.