Caught Between Two Worlds

Well here I am and for the record, I'm having to type this out TWICE because the first time it didn't save properly and all was lost. Meh. Computers these days. lol

Well I stayed in Santa Clarita for a little under two weeks with the Moore family who have always taken me in and have adopted me as one of their own. Never could I hope to repay their kindness! As I stayed with them I not only got to visit and catch up with two of my lovely Joshua sisters, I got to see some of the one graduates of this last years class! What a joy it was to see them! Chandler among them has fast become a dear sister and I am so grateful for our friendship! Me and her cooked dinner for a few of the boys from her class and the next day she and a few of those boys again drove me to the airport and made it so much more fun for me when it comes to checking in your bags. 

I also had the wonderful blessing to hang out and get to know better a lovely girl named Melinda. She is a teacher at Parker Moore's high school and also looks out for him from time to time. The Moore's have also adopted her and that is how we began to form our bond. She took me to a Thai/Chinese place where we proceeded to discover that we have many things in common and share the same heart for the people we love. I was so happy to have found that time to spend with her! 

As I traveled I not only had internet in each airport thanks be to God, I was also able to FaceTime a few friends as well as my Mom so I could keep them up to date as to where I was. It made the flights so much easier and the layovers so much faster! :) 

I arrived in Thailand with the entire family that is currently here to greet me! Into my Mom's arms I went first and then everyone else followed. Much to my joy and surprise my best/longest friend was there to meet me as well! Keeping it a surprise was well worth the joy of seeing her again! We've already been able to watch a movie together, I've had the privilege of meeting her daughter Norelle, and have seen her house and been able to catch up a few years. How much life changes in 4 1/2 years! 

Last night I had the blessing of celebrating my Mother's Birthday! Me and her went to a beauty salon and both got our hair washed and styled and were able to get some drinks and catch up on life. We then met up with the boys and went to a favorite restaurant of the family's. After that we all went to our favorite ice cream parlor and ate the famous chocolate peanut butter cup flavor. We finished off the night with "Once Upon a Time's" latest episode. All in all it was an awesome day and I'm super stoked to keep touching base with old friends and family that still currently live here. 

This time has made me confused as to reality to be honest. It's hard for me to process that I was in America less than a week ago. It's as if I never left Thailand on one side, but then I look at my Facebook each day and see all of the friends and family I now have in the States and am blown away by the whole other life God has given me in California. Being torn between two worlds is nothing new for me, but this time around is different only because Hume is completely apart of who I am now. I see how much I've been americanized and as I say or do something, I turn around to see my brothers giving me funny looks because I said something completely foreign to them. It's not something I find bad or negative, it's just me self examining the realization I've changed far more than I'd ever realized culturally and I'm coming to terms with that fact. I haven't entirely decided if I'm happy with all the changes. Most of them are cultural, but obviously there are other kinds of changes one makes to adapt to another environment. This will a course of thought I will continue to focus on, but for now, my ramblings have come to an end. :) Blessing to all who bother to read this. 

-Rambler