Back in the USA

Well, the trip has come to an end. Religious monuments, history museums, memorials, chaotic cities, soccer celebrations, holiday festivities, street vendors, markets, elephant treks, beaches, coral reefs, buses, airplanes...it all comes to an end. I was hoping to have some amazing epiphany on my travels, about life or myself or my place in the world--and what I realized most is that life goes on. No matter where you are or what happens--life goes on. Pol Pot kills millions of your country men, and still you need to tend to the cattle. King Suryavarman II creates the largest, most elaborate religious monument in the world, and still you have to figure out how to get water to support your family. Buddhists believe in impermanence, and it's got to be one of the reasons they are so laid back. Take it as it comes. Dogs run about, and nobody is concerned about what they eat or where they roam. Kids learn early to take care of themselves and land on their feet. Things are somewhat punctual, but move slowly. Don't lose face or cause a scene. It'll all work itself out. Is this a mantra I can adopt? I'm from the East Coast, so I highly doubt it, but I'll try. Everyone seemed so happy and content, despite their economic conditions. Do they have existential crises? I don't know, but they sure do look happy swinging in their hammocks at 2 in the afternoon after a big lunch cooked roadside...

I could have gone on for months. I loved every second of our trip, even the rainy two hour wait for a boatload of people to fill just 6 empty seats on a bus on a Cat Ba Island pier. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The region is amazing, and I look forward to going back; But I must say it is good to be home--home to our new house and the new adventures that await us.