Back Home (again) in Indiana

Hello friends! Well, I arrived home safely in Indiana Saturday afternoon and have been spending the past couple days trying to adjust to the change in time zone. Three hours doesn't seem like it would be a big difference, but it certainly does when you're trying to get up in the morning. Anyway, here is an update on my travels back home to the USA.

Tuesday evening Tiff and Brent had me over for a farewell dinner. I got to pick whatever I wanted for dinner and I chose stuffed salmon and rice. Mel also came over with her boyfriend and brought her lasagna. For dessert, Tiff made cherry crisp, which she knows I love, but we didn't have time to eat it before we had to head off to the youth center for my final night with the kids. Since it was my last night, we decided to make it special and bring Rock Band. Plus, we wanted to play some other team building games with them and we knew Rock Band was a sure way to draw them in. It was a wonderful evening that was made even more special by Tiff, as she brought in popcorn, angel food cake, and some other snacks to make it into a little party for me. The kids all signed a card and gave it to me at the end of the night, which was really touching to receive. Tiff and I then walked one of the girls home and hung out at Tiff's house for awhile to watch the end of Prince Caspian and have a really good talk before I headed home for bed.

Wednesday was my last day in Klemtu and it was definitely a busy one. I woke up early, did some reading, and then went for a run as I knew it would be my last one in Klemtu for awhile. And I know I promised to stay away from wolf territory, but I just couldn't resist it on my last run. I said many prayers before and during, and I am happy to report that the run was wolf free. I then went home to continue cleaning and packing before heading to Tiff's for a delicious lunch of salmon sandwiches. Since we never got a chance to enjoy the dessert she made the previous night I got to sample that as well. It was well worth the wait! I then rushed back home and continued my cleaning/packing spree, and was delighted when Tiff and the girls came over to be my little helpers. Tiff's girls were so cute scrubbing everything they could get their hands on. After doing the bathroom floors, they asked if they could wash the walls. I told Tiff that I hope their desire to clean lasts well into the future! We cleaned and packed up until about 15 minutes before my plane was leaving, then took my stuff down to a friend's truck and made the short drive down to the dock. I have never arrived for a flight at the same time the plane was pulling up to take off, so that was a new experience! I then said my goodbyes to some of the kids, Tiff's girls, and the hardest, Tiff. There were four of us on the plane headed for Bella Bella, and I got to be the one to sit next to the pilot in the front. It was incredible. After a beautiful flight to Bella Bella, we had a short layover where I got to see three Klemtu people that were on their way back to Klemtu. I was really happy I got to see them because I had gotten to know each one of them quite well and I was hoping to get a chance to say goodbye. Our next flight (this time on a much bigger plane and not a seaplane) took us to Port Hardy, and then straight to Vancouver. All in all, it was a very quick and easy flying process. Scott met me at the airport and after getting my bags he drove me across the street to my first restaurant in 10 weeks.....McDonald's. I laughed and told him I don't even eat McDonald's at home, but he insisted I do it for the experience. We then drove to his home in Abbotsford and shared stories about Klemtu on the way. At his home, I was greeted by his wife, Karen, and their two kids, and I enjoyed spending time with them and sharing some of my favorite memories before calling it a night.

I slept in and lounged around Thursday morning before heading out with Scott to pick up Karen to drive to Vancouver. They had a meeting with the doctor and social worker taking care of one of their dear friends from Klemtu, and they were all kind enough to let me sit in on the meeting as they knew I would be starting medical school in a short time. After the meeting, we took their friend out to a nice restaurant and had a wonderful meal. We then went to the grocery store and bought fruit for her to bring back to her room at the hospital, said goodbye, and then headed back home. We made a stop on the way to meet Tara, the school teacher I had become friends with in Klemtu, as she lives close to Scott and Karen. They dropped me off and Tara and I went for ice cream and then took a long walk around her neighborhood and caught up on what had gone on the past couple of weeks. It was really good to see her and hear how she had been doing and also share with her some of my wonderful memories from the past couple weeks. She then took me back to Scott and Karen's and I went right to bed.

I woke up Friday, got ready, and then Scott dropped me off at Karen's office so I could help out for the day. She works for an organization called "Mission Without Borders" that serves those suffering the effects of poverty and oppression in Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova. It was really cool to learn more about what they do and help such a worthy cause, especially since I have a desire to work in medical missions. Karen and I then went to lunch at a really cute tea restaurant called "SerendipiTea". Both of our lunches were really good and we even got to indulge in some dessert afterward. We then headed back to work for a few hours before going back home for dinner. I finished packing up and took a nap before dinner as I knew I would be flying all night. After a very nice dinner prepared by Scott, I finished getting ready while their family headed to the Abbotsford airport to pick up their son who had just gotten back from playing basketball in Europe. I got to visit with him for a little bit, but soon it was time to head for the Vancouver airport and begin my travels back home. After having quite a bit of difficulty finding where to check in, we got my boarding pass and I said goodbye to Scott and Karen. I almost made it through security without any problems, but silly me forgot to take out my pocket knife from the camping trip, and let's just say the security guards weren't too thrilled about that. I flew all night, connected in Houston, and before I knew it was back home in Indianapolis. I was greeted by four wonderful people-mom, dad, Mary Beth, and Barkley! I couldn't believe my mom managed to get our dog into the airport, and it didn't take long before they were coming after us and forcing us to get the dog out of there. But it was a wonderful feeling to see them all again and as tired as I was, I was still able to share some stories with them on the way home.

So here I am, back home after 10 of the most challenging yet incredible weeks of my life. Adjusting to life back home has certainly not been easy. On my run today, I noticed two things that are quite different from running in Klemtu. Number one, even with this "cool" 80 degree weather, the humidity makes running a lot more difficult. Number two, I'm going to have to give people time to get used to my waving and saying a perky "hello" to them as I pass them on the street, a practice that was the norm in Klemtu. I'm just trying to enjoy every minute of being home and take some time to slow down and reflect on all I have experienced. I look forward to connecting with friends and family in these next few weeks and thank you again for all of the love and support. My experience would not have been what it was without all of the prayer you covered me in. Hope to see you all again soon!