Yes we still live here

And I understand it's probably true that I haven't been keeping current at this given that I could hardly remember how to log on. Sorry.
Wade has been doing more than his fair share, and every one of the posts in Dec and Jan (yes, both of them). Since we are now in the "home" stretch, I'll try to keep up...
But where to start?
Ok, how 'bout with being back in MN? It was awesome, and wretched. We got off the plane amidst a snowy wonderland (luckily they felt sorry for us and let our plane land). Mom met us at the airport with a baggy of fresh-baked cookies (in case we couldn't wait the 15 minutes to get home in inclement weather). And that pretty much set the tone for the diet while I was there. Christmas was post-card perfect with gently falling crystals of snow, warm fireplace and laughter of family reunited. And at least a few sticks of butter melted over the seafood feast. And then another Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's - so, so good to be home amidst the clatter of family.
At work, an eery silence crept in...most years that between-holidays week is quiet, but having gotten used to the constant commotion of working in Bangalore the silence nearly drove me mad. So things I had blocked 3 hours to do were done in an hour, my email box emptied and I was left to do the next reasonable thing - more Caribou coffee, and then a stop at the cafe for a special-K bar the size of a shoe box (that I inhaled like I had never, ever seen one before and would clearly never again). And so on went those first few days while people slowly returned from the holidays. It was great to be in Minneapolis and the energy of the office, and impressive how quickly the world turns. I realized quickly how much I felt like a visitor/newcomer amidst this strange home.
Oh, and the one question most people ask: "How is/was India?" I have new appreciation for people that write encyclopedia's... over and over again, where to start...aardvark? Alps? Amazon? Avalanche? ....Bangalore?
How was the last year of your life? How is a huge, diverse, crazy, mundane sub-continent? Some options for answers I came up with:

• Funny, one of the things I like and hate about it is how diverse it is...
• It's like camping. Some days it's raining and there's water under your tent and a raccoon in your garbage. Some days it's a sunrise over the lake and coffee off the campfire. Either way, you'd do it again, and you're glad when you get home.
• It's like having kids. I can tell you about the s*#t and you'd only sort of get it. It's harder to explain the amazing experience and how it changes you. And even if I tried, you wouldn't really understand.
• Uh, I keep a superficial blog, would you like the address?
  
• Fine, thanks. How are you?

I think I'll have to work on these. For next time. It was a strange experience being "back." It was fantastic and filling and easy, with days started with long, hot showers (no warm up or power required) and ended with fabulous food, great wine and close friends and family. And strangely unsettling I suppose at how quickly I got used to things in India, and how ODD I found it that thing change in MN.
Driving back from friends one day, Caden asked me if our friends in India were back there (from their vacation) yet? When I told him they had reached...he asked/demanded: "good, then can we go home now too?" As in India.
Of course, 24 hours and a long plane ride back to India, greeted by the swarm of India, the dirt, the cows, the "food" and so on...it's a question hard to answer...is this Home? Or is that?
Our India friends were "home," and had made arrangements for our place to be cleaned/aired, and appointments at the spa before we went there for dinner...and sat up on the patio pondering the world and laughing at stories of tasty restaurants and clean streets and abundant retail and reunion hugs...
"How is it?"
Tough question

We are here only.

A funny you have to be here to find funny...

I will ponder some more...