Coming "home"

We said our good-byes at the Goa airport. I have to admit, there was more than a teeny bit of me that wanted to get on the plane to the US too (even if it was a much longer journey). It had been an awesome time, with family, great food and great amenities. And the visit (especially with my mommy) did bring up that nagging suspicion that I had acclimated and just forgotten about the developed world and its amenities. "Oh, you live here...are there any more dishes... that match?" "Does the power always go out like this?" "Where can we get some....(fill in the blank)?" "How long until... (fill in the blank)?"
On the journey from the Bangalore airport home, over the garbage strewn streets with stinky cows and dilapidated buildings...I managed to put myself into quite a mood. The reality of family visits and exotic beach vacations coming to an end had me unreasonably, but nonetheless completely crabby. The light at the end of the day was a text message that the sea shipment with a care package from home had arrived. And although we didn't have a driver (and aren't allowed to drive even to the other side of the neighborhood), we walked over to take a look and take what we could carry. That was awesome...inside the box was toilet paper, Lucky Charms, gummy bears...a veritable treasure trove from home. And when Grayce, an adorable six-year-old mentioned she "loved" Lucky Charms, I looked at her with the instinctive defensiveness of a lion guarding its prey. And while I wouldn't normally cling to a box of Lucky Charms like they were a lifeline worth wrestling a six-year-old to the ground over, these...these are unusual times.