Back to America for Miss Eleanor, the money is out, and the home lands call. I am on my fourth day back here in trendy and foggy Portland, Oregon. I have returned to the Jarrett house and it was lovely to see my smiling roommates and to redecorate my room with all my lovely little things. I rescuscitated my plants and cleaned the kitchen. Things are back to normal (except, of course, and thanks be to God and the American people, Obama is now President!).
As I look back on me on my travels, I see myself seeing beautiful architecture and engaging with interesting people from all over the world. I remember fantastic pieces of art and fascinating markets, foreign religions and incredible snow-capped peaks, good food and food poisoning, paradisical beaches and horrid bus rides, loneliness and the spark and boldness of new love. There were some amazing experiences and time to reflect on my habits and dreams. It seems there should be an enlightened finality as my trip 'round the world comes full circle; as if the journey somehow led me to life-changing decisions or perhaps a new vision of my role in the Cosmos. In actuality, I have no grandiose conclusions, no profound pieces of wisdom that come easily to my fingertips. As I get older, the changes in my are more subtle, gradual, and calm. Despite having no conclusions, I feel blessed and satisfied with my journey. The experiences of the recent past are within me and influence my actions and reactions in daily life.
And Portland? That pretty city I bragged about to the people I met on my adventures? Well, the lattes are still having their foam artfully spooned and the scene is stay full of eager creative entrepeneurs, patched-up punks, new-era dreadlocks from Middle America, bearded writers, and outdoorsy families creating the alternative bubble that is 'our' city. It is a stimulating environment for artistic ventures, and yet it feels closed off from the rest of the world somehow, a self-perpetuating attitude of I-am-more-up-and-coming-Portland-than-thou pervading the coffeee shops, boutiques, bars, and restaurants. When the whole population is alternative, doesn't that make alternative the conservative? And so these are some of my first impressions on returning home, the imprints of my recent visions of foreign places and other ways of living still fresh in my mind's eye.
When traveling, unexpected things occur daily, and new sights and experiences awaken new parts of one's being. The familiarity and regularity of home are comforting, but they also can lead to a feeling of stagnation. I suppose it is just a different way of being that I will soon adapt to. As I search for a new place of employment and get back into the daily routines, optimism, confidence, abundance, and calm are my words of self-wisdom, the lessons I learned during my travels. Life in Portland for me will be beautiful, and I will enjoy it for its positive qualities. Four months wasn't so long afterall, but, the pieces of memory remain in my mind and heart, and a piece of me remains in the midst of the Austrian Alps. The flame of adventure resides within me, and awaits to be awakened once again.
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