Hitting the Wall

Being a foreigner is wearying. I have been in England for close to two years, and honestly, I have tried to fit in. I say things like "Cheers, mate" to people I don't know. I have learned how to navigate roundabouts while sitting on the wrong side of the car. I carry an umbrella all the time. I have even forced myself to eat black pudding - once. All in all I think I have shown considerable effort to adapt -"when in Rome" and all that. Nonetheless, I have hit the wall. I just want to go home now. I don't want to do anything - just get on a plane with whatever of my stuff I can carry and leave all else behind. My impending return to the US next week probably exacerbates this feeling of apathy, and the fact that my family has already returned to the States in March doesn't help either.

Living here in England hasn't, in itself, been bad. I have made several good friends here, and have learned a lot of interesting things about geology, as well as the world. It is just exhausting to constantly wish things were like home, and always finding that they're not. There are specific things here that drive me nuts, certain inconveniences I could do without. But some things would be annoying regardless of where I lived. When you are at home, the annoying things don't stand out so much, because, in spite of being irritating, they are "normal."

So I have exactly one week left to be a foreigner, in which time I have to sell a car, sort out some bank accounts, and have my mail forwarded. I will eventually look back with fond memories, and time will blur the inconveniences and frustrations. But for now, I just want to go home.