Was it a dream?

So, I'm back in Atlanta. I"m back with FoodNet. I'm back in my house, and back with all my stuff. And I gotta tell you, I'm happy. It's nice to be welcomed back warmly to work and the neighborhood, and so many of my friends are in Atlanta now, it's awesome. My local YMCA (a 10 minute walk) has a pool, so I can swim after work; there's a new sidewalk on the main road near me, so I can run without fighting the Escalades roaring past. The grocery store is so big and it has all my favourite (can't get rid of the u!) cereals and sandwiches and fruit and crackers and cookies; and it's a 5 minute walk from me (not so different from Canberra in that respect, but still a plus). My family is close(er). I can call my sister at most hours f my day and check in on my niece (who's flipping perfect, in case you wanted to know!)

Which all makes Canberra feel like a distant, underwater dream. Sort of. It's an odd feeling for sure. I see a red subey impreza here and it sort of makes me skip a beat, and then I try to get in my car (the good old beast of an explorer, still kicking!) on the right hand side to drive!! Luckily I haven't driven on the left hand side of he road. Yet.

The hardest right now is right before I go to sleep, when it's quiet and I can take a breath and realise how much I do miss my peeps in Canberra. And the fact that I have no ticket in hand to go back anytime soon definitely makes me freak a little. Tears are certainly shed for missing my close relationships there. But I'm here. And you all are there. Which is sort of just how it goes.

I do know that the Katie that left Canberra is different from the Katie that arrived there 3 years ago. And thank you for that. I like me now and am excited to be back here as me now. (ok - a bit existential... but you get the idea, yeah?)

And thank god for facebook and iternational texting- makes the distance a little shorter.