Let the Adjustment Begin

Make no mistake about it, the adjustment is just beginning. That is, the process of re-learning what comes naturally for 99.9% of Americans. I’m sure it will take months; just as I’m equally sure we will be blindsided by it more than a few times. This journal isn’t going to bore you with every nitty gritty detail of every little adjustment, but do humor me to draw you into our crazy mixed up world for a moment.

“The Adjustment” as we will call it is very pervasive. It catches you off guard and leaves you feeling like a cross between a three year old and the village idiot. Our first morning back and I’m standing in line to buy a bottle of water. “$1.09” the cashier says, so I reach in my pocket and pull out a handful of change. It feels funny in my hand, like the coins have shrunk. I’m caught off guard for an instant and have to stop and think, “What coins do I need to use?” It’s a weird feeling for just a moment. And so was standing amazed that people were leaving their jackets unattended and my wife not being freaked out over water splashing around the food and asking the sales lady what length the teen girls wear their jeans and…

In days of old returning missionaries had weeks if not months to make “the adjustment” as they rode the slow boat from China. The elongated time allowed them to ponder, refresh and make ready for their return. In our own way we are taking a slow boat back home. To create a family memory we plan to hang a left in Dallas and head out to the Grand Canyon before returning back through Colorado and on to the Appalachians. It’s a time to think and to adjust.

“The Adjustment” will continue as we arrive home. How will we fit in? What will others expect of us? What will our expectations be of them? Will we reconnect with friends easily? Are we supposed to tip the bag boy? How do you drive in the snow? Where do you buy Oaxaca cheese? And on and on it goes.