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My relation to that place, my being in it and my absences from it, is the story of my life. - Wendell Berry

Those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning (thanks for your support, Mom and Dad) will remember that I began this process as somewhat of a blogging cynic. But as hard as this is for me, I'm going to have to admit I was wrong.

Turns out, blogging my experience in Chile has been incredibly constructive and even necessary for me. Sitting down every week and sorting out my days and thoughts into something that was not just words on a page but a structured, thematic reflection (Shameless English nerd. I think that's clear by this point.) allowed me to understand what I was learning as I was learning it. And in the hardest moments, reading through those reflections reminded me that I was actually enjoying myself as well as growing and changing. 

Another surprise is that this blog has given me a chance to enjoy writing more than I have since about the third grade. Thank you to each one of you who expressed to me face to face or via facebook that you were able to identify with or learn from something I wrote here. Once again, the wise and wonderful Ali expressed it perfectly. She told me, "You make your experience meaningful for other people." And I sincerely hope that's true. It's what I've been trying to do. 

Welcome home hug from my awesome little sister. 

Thank you for coming with me to this point. Now, I am sitting in the green chair in my blue bedroom, the same spot where I wrote my first post, looking out the window at the moon and the darkness falling over snow-covered ground: December as I know it. And it strikes me how all the things I dreamed about sitting in the various bedrooms I occupied over the past few months, slide so quickly and comfortably back into normal for me. And that old normal, the one with the morning bus rides and all of the bread - it quickly becomes intangible. Stories now. But stories I know I will be telling, to whomever is willing to listen, for the rest of my life. 

I have to say that its been a blessed homecoming. I'm so grateful to my family for their grace for Spanglish and for not looking at me too oddly when I bring my mate into the kitchen. And to my friends for asking good questions or just talking about regular old Hope College stuff with me. 

For the first time in my life, I truly feel like I'm able to manage my expectations for this next part. I know full well that not everyone will get it. That's totally and completely fine. I've come back before, and I've also sat stateside and welcomed others back, and I know. I know that the sudden shift in realities can feel overwhelming, but the truth is that I have experienced something different. And really, that's no different than my friend who goes to school in California or my sister in Pennsylvania. I can't picture their environments either. 

Place matters, and every experience is different. But just because my experience took place in Chile for a while, that doesn't mean any more or less that it was personal and special, or that I am privileged to share it in memories with the people who were there with me, and in stories with the people who were not. Life goes on, here. I am different. And so are you. I can't wait to see how. 

The warm welcome of 13 degrees.

So in that spirit, and also because of what I expressed at the beginning of this post, I've decided to keep posting on this blog. I'd like to keep thinking things through in this space. My current plan is to try and write every other week. I won't be posting anything on Facebook, so if you'd like to keep reading it will be completely up to you. 

So. So long to Chile. I can't guarantee any adventures to come here, but right now that sounds perfectly alright to me. Once again, thank you for reading. Thank you for listening to me. It means more than probably any of you know.