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Posted 03-09-2009 at 05:26 PM by abaya
Hello again, TFP. We got back from our round-the-world trip just over a week ago... the 15-hour time difference/jetlag is finally starting to wear off now, and we're trying to get into a schedule for ourselves. We joined a gym nearby right away (wayyyy too many coconut desserts for me in Thailand) and have been trying to "work" at the public libraries nearby since we don't have an office at my mom's place. Ktsp's applying for jobs like crazy, and I'm trying to ratchet up my work on my dissertation, though I'm dragging my feet (as usual). I'd rather be skiing. Or stitching. Or anything.
We're feeling pretty lucky in terms of social opportunities so far, since ktsp has walked into an insta-group of Lebanese friends from his undergrad (all from his computer science major, so they're excellent networking contacts as well). I also know a married couple from my grad program who graduated and moved here last September... none of these people are our close friends, but two of my best friends are still local, so we have a nice mix of people to hang out with.
Little bit weird for me, getting used to all the familiarity again... I guess in my American head, I had started to believe that places weren't meant to be returned to... you're just supposed to keep moving on, and on, to new places, not going back. But here we are, back in my old stomping grounds... so I'm sorting out the return, figuring out how to lay new memories on top of the old ones, the old mental map of events and moments that is still preserved in my mind. Nostalgia can be such a fucking pain in the ass when it comes to enjoying the present moment.
Overall, though, things are good. I've got nothing to complain about.
We're feeling pretty lucky in terms of social opportunities so far, since ktsp has walked into an insta-group of Lebanese friends from his undergrad (all from his computer science major, so they're excellent networking contacts as well). I also know a married couple from my grad program who graduated and moved here last September... none of these people are our close friends, but two of my best friends are still local, so we have a nice mix of people to hang out with.
Little bit weird for me, getting used to all the familiarity again... I guess in my American head, I had started to believe that places weren't meant to be returned to... you're just supposed to keep moving on, and on, to new places, not going back. But here we are, back in my old stomping grounds... so I'm sorting out the return, figuring out how to lay new memories on top of the old ones, the old mental map of events and moments that is still preserved in my mind. Nostalgia can be such a fucking pain in the ass when it comes to enjoying the present moment.
Overall, though, things are good. I've got nothing to complain about.
Total Comments 14
Comments
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Welcome back. Settling back in is always a little weird. What's funny is, no matter how much I think I know that in advance, it's always still a surprise to me that it's a little weird. You know?Posted 03-09-2009 at 06:06 PM by ratbastid
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Welcome back. It is strange to overlay new memories over old, but it happens, sometimes as a transition and sometimes permanently.
welcome back!Posted 03-09-2009 at 07:36 PM by Cynthetiq
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Welcome back!
That last paragraph is quite insightful. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life.
Posted 03-09-2009 at 08:03 PM by fresnelly
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Welcome back! I know what you mean in some ways about familiarity--living here is the longest I've stayed in one place in my entire life, though because of the university things always feel a little "fresher".
Best of luck to the both of you in your pursuits--I hope ktsp finds work and that your dissertation goes well Mostly, I'm just happy to see you back around these parts, and hope you guys find opportunities to pop in more often now that you're back!Posted 03-09-2009 at 08:08 PM by snowy
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Happy to see you back! Got tales of your world-wide adventures to share?Posted 03-09-2009 at 09:48 PM by grumpyolddude
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Thanks for the big TFP "hug," guys. It feels good to be "back," even if it feels a little bit weird. I think it could be a good thing to lay down some new memories on top of the old ones... otherwise, nostalgia just hangs around forever, right, and the past just keeps looking more and more rosy than the present.
As for tales of our adventures... heh. There aren't any hair-raising ones, but a few anecdotes that I'm sure will pop up in some upcoming threads. Still need some time to digest.Posted 03-09-2009 at 10:19 PM by abaya
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oh, thank gawd.Posted 03-10-2009 at 12:22 AM by mixedmedia
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Glad to see you back! You have been missedPosted 03-10-2009 at 03:22 AM by little_tippler
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o...welcome back!Posted 03-10-2009 at 04:34 AM by roachboy
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Posted 03-10-2009 at 04:48 AM by PonyPotato
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It's nice to see you around again.Posted 03-10-2009 at 07:46 AM by Baraka_Guru
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Welcome back, so nice to see you back again!Posted 03-10-2009 at 11:09 AM by spinelust
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Welcome back, hope you had a good trip.
How are things going in Iceland? Is it very different from when you left?Posted 03-10-2009 at 09:43 PM by ASU2003
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Thank you again for all the kind words. ASU2003, we actually moved away from Iceland permanently and are living in Seattle now. But yes, Iceland IS very different than when we left... but we don't know how it's going firsthand, anymore. And that's okay. Posted 03-11-2009 at 09:41 AM by abaya
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