Wednesday, September 18, 2013

a summary

Those of you who faithfully followed my journey last semester undoubtedly noted the cliffhanger -- I left you in my "Roman retrospect." I suppose my reasoning is as follows: the close of the semester was essentially a pandora's box of finals, essays, packing, farewells, emotions, cleaning, and travels. {Perhaps the phrase "pandora's box" is a little harsh, but I assume you get the point} The opening of this metaphorical box began shortly after my last post... Hence the immediate silence.

Italy --> California
Getting home from Venice involved three flights, an overnight in London, and a roughly twenty-four hour day {a result of chasing the sun across an ocean and a continent}; cumulatively, it took me thirty-six hours from when I left the ground in Venice until I touched down in the strangely beautiful, grungy county of Los Angeles. I think what I love so much about LA is that it feels like home. It is rather distinct from Orange County {a fact that any true "Los Angeles native", if there is such a thing, would be quick to communicate}, yet it will perhaps always bear an invisible, inextricable tie with my perception of home. The memories I posses of touching down in LAX after a trip - long or short, near or far - are innumerable. A better way to state that would be: the significance of those memories to me are unquantifiable.
Spending 36 hours in crowded seclusion was strange; perplexing initially and bewitching ultimately. During my travels I stumbled upon the realization that I had never spent so much time completely and entirely apart from a single familiar face. Of the thousands of people that I observed in passing -- each one with a story entirely their own; from unique homes and familial structures; representing numerous countries, cultures, and continents -- none knew my name none my story either. The noisiness, the busyness, the determination of an international business man to get on to his meetings as scheduled, and the anticipation of a son to reunite with his mother after a semester away; all of this happened apart from me, outside of me. My presence made little to no effect upon the mission of the populous occupying the airport terminals. Nonetheless, in a disparate sense I played a huge role simply by being there. For the individual occupying the whole plays still a significant part in it. Without each piece of the puzzle fulfilling its function, however small, the picture is never ready to be completed. But my musings have wandered off topic and therefore I will make it a point to return to the place from where I started.

Out-of-character brevity: stressful/successful travels; joyous & exhausted/delirious reunion; monstrous reverse-culture-shock, for which I did not think to be prepared; eventual feelings of settlement & clarity

I attribute my lack of wrap-up/debriefing post in the weeks directly after returning to the culture-shock.
My "it has been four months since you've been back home and you S T I L L haven't posted a closing statement?!" is entirely due to negligence on my part. I give mega props to anyone who continues to check back in every so often to see if I will finish what I started -- I hope and pray that this post in itself serves as a reward to your dedication.

I am considering starting another blog connected to this one, a "sister blog" of sorts, that can pick up where this leaves off. It is therapeutic, in a certain regard, to wrestle with my thoughts in a semi-formal platform and come to find a resolution and conclusion, whether vague or formed. It is up to you, my dear reader, to discover whether or not I am diligent in my aspiration.

That is all for now,
xoxo Em


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