Happy and Healthy in the Homeland

I am finally back up to speed - 98.314151659% better.  It is fabulous.  I will never again take my health for granted.  I love life.

Transitioning back to life in the US has had some interesting quirks.  I am currently working remotely from my parents house, which is currently up for sale and they are also in the process of moving - the boxes are a constant reminder that I still do not have a home even though I am back in the states and will continue to live out of my baggage for an indeterminate amount of time.

A few things I have observed while being back over the last week:
 -I have been freezing my ass off.  I keep a personal heater on while I work at the desk.  Apparently I got used to the scorching 40 degree Celsius weather in India.
-I have an insatiable hunger.  I thought that I would have a hard time eating, especially meat,  because I have been a vegetarian the last 6 weeks and eaten very little (reference: 12 pounds lost).  Nope.  I am eating everything in sight.  The Clean Plate Club has a new CEO.
-People drive slow and while the flow of traffic is civilized (with everyone in their own lanes and obeying traffic lights that actually exist here), people have intense road rage.  A honked horn here means F off, while in India it means "Hey, I'm here."
-I do not fear everything I touch and put in my mouth.  Fresh lettuce means so much to me right now.
-People are chit-chatty.
-I get other people's humor and they get mine.  I have to explain less.  Meetings last 20 minutes less and people think I'm crazy when I repeat myself three times to get the point across.
-The air is fresh.  I can see the stars.
-The moon does not smile here.
-There is no litter.
-Animals graze farms, not busy intersections.  Dogs are on leashes and I can pet them.
-Electricity does not go out 3 times a day.
-I wake up between 2 and 6 in the morning and am not working until between 6:30-8:30 at night.
-Lots of skin is shown, even though it is freezing out.
-People are fat.
-Everything is green and blooming.
-I see Indians everywhere.
-Things are expensive and no one is picking up my tab.
-Men on motorcycles ride single, with helmets on.  Absolutely no babies are riding them.
-I am not drinking 5 liters of water a day.
-Beer tastes good.
-Bread does not.
-My ribs are not poking out anymore.
-Skin is really white.
-No one cleans my room for me.
-I can brush my teeth with water in the faucet.  And drink from the faucet!  This still freaks me out.
-There are sidewalks.
-Men are not shy towards me.
-I can drive and walk wherever and whenever I want.
-My previously jobless friends are finding jobs.
-People don't look at me like I'm from another planet.
-Pakistan doesn't appear that threatening.
-There is less visible religious diversity.
-No one is poor.
-Obama's personal life is featured on the front page.  His major decisions are not hidden on page 13 of the national newspaper.
-The news is America focused.
-Terrorism is a huge threat.  That actually doesn't change anywhere I go.
-I work in my pajamas.
-Chicago appears small, quiet, and clean.
-Roads are bare.
-There are sidewalks.
-Work is lonely.
-I have a better life attitude than before my travels.
-The only "veg" meal on the menu is fries and cheese.
-Cars are big, new and clean, rarely transporting more than one person.
-I have lots of baggage and stuff that is unnecessary.
-I make my own coffee and my own breakfast.
-I can run again.
-Air smells good.
-"Everyone speaks English."
-It is quiet.

Can you believe I miss the Beautiful Mess?