"Home"

The whole time I was in Costa Rica, I talked with various people about the "culture shock" I was likely to go through when I got back home.  But to be honest, I had no idea what "culture shock" was.  I'm not sure I do, even now, when I would supposedly be going through it.  But, maybe I am going through it?  I don't know.  I think maybe the "culture shock" is just another way people talk about the fact that, rather than unadulterated joy about being home, when you come back from a trip like that, it actually entails a crazy muddled mix-up of emotions.
Or maybe, it just means the feeling that everything is... weird.  I can't put my finger on what exactly it *is* that is weird, other than... everything.  Which conflicts internally with the deep sense of familiarity of everything.
Some things I can pin down. 
All the usual sounds are gone.  Complain as I may have about the roosters and other birds, it was weird as fuck not to wake up with the jungle noises around me.  
People here throw their toilet paper in the toilet.  How weird is that? ;-)
My body is pretty convinced, despite the rain, that we've relocated to a dry desert land, and my nose and lips and eyes are suffering from the lack of humidity.
Seatbelts are once again the norm.

But, it is, I think, something deeper and more fundamental, and really a bit disturbing.  I want to be all bouncing and bubbly smiles about being home.... and I'm not.

Don't get me wrong, I'm *SO FUCKING HAPPY* to see the people I love again.  And my wonderful family at the PDC (my home) did an amazing job putting together my new room for me (art and books everywhere! :-D).  Jason made a fabulous welcome home dinner.  Sleeping next to a warm body again was sumptuous.

But.

I don't know.  Maybe culture shock is just when you're gone so long that "home" was where you were traveling, and real home, where you're coming back to, became the strange and exotic place.

Whatever it is, it really does cause a sort of brain numb shocked sensation.  It will be interesting to see how long this takes to pass....

Keep looking here for a few posts of shit tons of pictures (including Teddy's adventures at the ranch) now that I have reliable, fast internet again.