Phil was briefly in WA state last week for an on-campus class at his graduate school. It was the first time he has been on US soil since September 2011. Levi and I stayed at home in CM with the cats during his class.
His absence last week had me really ruminating on how it’s been almost two full years since Levi and I were in the US, visiting friends and family. While it’s been frustrating to not be able to afford the crazy price of airfare for all three of us for a home visit, we were using our resource in other ways as we made the transition to Chiang Mai. In 2012 we were figuring out “what to do” and settling in so we didn’t go to the US.
We also bought our wonderful Nissan March at the end of the year. So we view 2012 as the year we bought a car instead of going back for a home visit. As 2013 started, we wondered whether or not we’d be able to afford a US trip. In short, we found out that the cost of Phil’s trip to WA from where we would be at with family in Chicago, plus hotel, on top of a trip to MN later on from Chicago to visit everyone, would break the bank. Hence, once again we found ourselves having to not get to visit home. It’s fine, overall, though we do miss everyone. There have been many babies born since we left that we have yet to meet amongst our friends. When Levi and I flew in 11/11 to meet Phil in Chiang Mai, he was just over 18 months old. Now he’s just over 3 years. So much has changed as he’s gone through his toddler years. Skype and photos are great ways to connect him back home, but certainly are no replacement. His world is Thailand, even though he’s “from” MN/IL/China.
Having three years of whirlwind summer trips to the US and back to Asia from 2009-2011 was certainly wonderful in many respects. We were able to catch up with those we missed, eat food we craved, and do other Americansy things. While I wish we would have been able to all visit in 2012 and this summer, since we can’t it will just make our next visit all the more special. We think it would be fun to visit in April 2014 so Levi can have a birthday on US soil. But it’s also sometimes cold back home. This past April there was still snow in both IL and MN. Phil and I have some of our winter gear here but Levi has none. We don’t even own a pair of socks for him that fits at this point. In fact, he is so used to shorts that the few times we put normal pants on him, he freaks out saying they are too big. He just doesn’t have a concept that “shorts” are one kind of bottoms and longer pants are another where the material goes down to one’s ankles.
This summer, too, is extra busy for me. I am in a graduate course online right now and have two graduate courses for my summer intensives that will take place in late July and early August. Not having to conquer jet lag while wading through pages of writing, writing while trying to remember Thai and, further, grading my students’ work is a nice bonus, even if I have to miss seeing all of you back home for a while longer.
Here’s to hoping for a 2014 visit!
Chicky Net – The social network for expat women living in Thailand
Hey, if you make it to the US next year, maybe we can coordinate a visit… either us to you, or you to us! =D