Homeward Bound

I did it. I just bought a plane ticket to New York City from October 21 - 29. Twenty-five hours each way. I must be crazy.

Why did I do it? One of my best friends, Carissa Lucyk, is getting married to Taylor Smith and I had to be there for it.

In some ways it was perfect timing moving to Australia when we did--economic crisis, being young and unfettered, and Darcy being young enough to pick up the language fluently (hardee-har-har). But in other ways, the timing was less than ideal. Three of my best friends chose the year 2009 to get married, and I could hardly go back for all of the weddings. It pains me to make choices like these, and pains me even more to miss such big events in their lives, but hopefully making at least one of the three weddings will be like honoring all three of them.

Carissa and I have been friends since freshman year when we lived on the same hall. We first bonded over her having the same name as my sister's, and the same middle name as me (Joy! Best middle name ever!). You have to admit, that's weird. Will and I have had a long history with Carissa and Taylor as a couple, beginning when Carissa and I started dating each of our future partners ON THE SAME DAY. Again, that's weird. Since then (when we started dating ON THE SAME DAY), we hung out a lot as couples, and our relationships have taken similar paths as we moved beyond college and into the real world. This past May, Will and I had the opportunity to visit Taylor in Indonesia, where he was teaching English for the Fulbright program. While Will will not have the vacation days to go back to the US with me, I will be the symbolic reminder of how far they have come since they started dating (ON THE SAME DAY AS ME AND WILL. So weird).

I'm a little bit nervous about going back to the States... and it's not just the fear of 25 hours of travel. (Sidenote: when I got back from Thailand I told myself I wouldn't travel internationally again for at least a year. Goes to show how much I listen to myself.) But it will be strange interrupting my Australian chapter in life with an American intermission. Another reason why Will is staying: I have to have a reason to come back. (And if he went, he might get caught up in football season and never come back, even if I was here waiting for him!) I'll probably post more about my thoughts closer to the date of travel, but I just thought I'd admit that it feels weird.

And at the same time, I can't wait! Oh, and if anyone wants to visit me in NYC, please be welcome. I will not be traveling around the rest of the country at this time (25 hours each way is more than enough travel for me, thank you very much). But I would love to see you Americanites.