Itsara

We’re slowly getting things back in order. We’re catching up on Sandra’s homeschooling, unpacking, cleaning, and trying to get back to life. Jet lag is mostly gone (weird how traveling west is a lot easier in that way). It’s hard coming back to our house and family after it’s been run under different management, but for the most part things are the way we expected them to be. So I guess overall I’m proud of our kids.

This trip was the first time I’d been back to the States in 2 years (though Cindy and Isaac went last year). More than that, it was the first time we’ve spoken in front of Coast since before we left 3.5 years ago.

In doing so, I was reminded why we need to talk to Coast every time we go back. (more…)

We’re back and trying to put our house in order. It’s really good to see everyone here (though we have yet to see 3 of our kids – they’re still in school), but of course we haven’t been home for over 3 weeks so there are things to do in addition to unpacking. Fortunately Sean and Prang are helping out a lot and Isaac is having a great time with Abby again.

Turns out after all the cold places we visited (you know, like LA, San Diego, and Mexico for example), I’ve de-acclimatized, which sucks. It’s totally hot here. I’ve got to get my internal regulators set back to Thailand right quick.

I’m also about to pass out, but I can’t. Two kids come home any time now, and we have to pick up a third in like an hour. And then we have to reassert our parenthood a little, which means staying conscious and being parents. We also need to eat, apparently (did you know this?). And though I think she’s delirious, Cindy keeps saying something about going out for my birthday. Right now, the only thing I want for my birthday is the sweet, black embrace of unconsciousness. That and a plasma screen.

I’ll be back later with more useful information and some debriefing thoughts. I have a lot of such thoughts. I have no idea which of them will end up here. Pictures too, maybe.

Just two more days until my sister’s wedding, then on Sunday we start our long journey back home. I know each of us feels differently about it, but for me Thailand really does feel home. I like the US, and I really miss my friends, but for the last few weeks I’ve felt like my life has been on hold and I’m anxious to get back to it.

Cindy and I were talking about our trip the other night, and I realized something. The thing that I really want from this visit is something I can’t have. In seeing all the people I miss, what I really want is to share life with them again. I want to work with them, live with them, worship with them, but I can’t have that without changing our life again (and in some cases, changing the lives of some of my friends).

The best I can do is share about the parts of our lives that we’ve missed, a hope to see each other again, and maybe some small, fun experiences together (e.g. play games, see movies, etc.). It’s not enough, but it has to be for now.

We’re in San Diego now. Yesterday was the crazy day of talking to Coast Vineyard (twice) and two separate hang-outs with people. I think Isaac’s all partied out, but fortunately for him the rest of our time is hanging out with friends in small doses, which I think he can handle.

We’ve been plagued by all kinds of random, tiny, annoying health problems. Our friend’s daughter, Ava, threw up on the way down here. Isaac got a fever the other day. Cindy’s wrist has been hurting again. I cut my thumb and finger and this swelling in my ear came back after I thought it’d gone. Oh yeah, and I got all stomach-sick on the day we drove down from Napa. So good times. We’re much better now overall, and we don’t have the presentation at Coast hanging over our heads, so we’re good.

And we’re hearing things from back home too. Most of our kids are doing well. Sean and his family took Pan and Lu to Prang’s village for the weekend. He’s got a post and a bunch of pictures. It’s good to see our kids enjoying themselves (and taken care of) while we’re gone. It also sounds like Chiang Mai has gotten tons of rain, which should be real good for our new lawn.

That’s all for now. We’re in San Diego for a few more days, then we drive up to Orange County to visit Cindy’s family, and in a week we fly down to Mexico to see my family and watch my sister get married. Should be awesome.

Cindy, Isaac, and I have been here in Napa for four days now, I think. It’s been a good time of catching up with friends and practicing explanations of what we do and what’s been going on. That last bit’s important because we have to talk about what we’re doing at Coast this Sunday.

We’re still a bit jet-lagged, and tomorrow all of us (Heines and Wyatts) are driving down to San Diego. Otherwise, we’ve been playing new games, eating good food, and watching Isaac and the Wyatts’ girl, Ava, play together. I wish I had time to write more details, but writing is something I haven’t done much of out here. It’s not a writing month.

Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been tilling bad dirt, spreading, grading, cleaning, and breaking up good dirt, and today we finally laid down 223 square meters of sod (that’s about 2,500 square feet, for the metrically challenged). It cost us only about 7,400 Baht ($212 USD) and hundreds of man-hours, but we’re pretty happy with it.

It is only just now hitting me that we’ll be in the States in a few days. Will Isaac be able to withstand sitting in an airplane for 16 hours? Will we be able to afford one of the most expensive countries in the world? Will our kids be okay while we’re gone?

Who cares! I’m eating carne asada in a week. Woo-hoo!