Happy Feet - Honking Horns....we're home!

We are "home". I have had to put that word in quotations because our definition of home is different. Brian says that his home is in Texas, that we live in a house in Dubai. Sarah says this is home, but Texas is too. I always say home is where the heart is. OK, not original and you've heard that before, but it raises a question. Does that mean it is physically where your heart is? Of course our hearts are physically here, but my heart aches for Texas and all people and the life there. But sometimes calling this place "home", just doesn't have the right ring.

While on vacation in Barcelona last week, several people asked where we were from. I thought it was so interesting to hear the answer. Sometimes the kids would say "Texas". Sometimes they would answer "Dubai". Jim, in his politically correct way, would answer "we're Americans, but we live in Dubai".

I knew I was back to my Dubai home yesterday when I drove up to the school. I was out of the driveway about 3 minutes...not even on the expressway and I was almost in an accident. I had to honk my horn and hit the brakes. Yep...I'm back "home". After I mumbled a few choice words to myself, I had to laugh. In June, before we headed back to the States for our two month visit, Jim told me I'd have a hard time driving in the US again. He said I had become a very aggressive driver. I completely disagreed and said I drive just fine and am very safety conscious. The first full day in Texas, we all had dentist appointments. I was driving through our little Friendswood and Pearland on the way to the dentist and I started to feel my chest tighten, my breath quicken, and my foot tapping. It was almost like an anxiety attack. The cause for this reaction? Well, people were going 35 mph, the posted speed limit and there were frequent stop lights. No 12 lane highway with people passing in their Ferrari's and Maserati's. A road of law abiding citizens driving Fords, Chevy's, and just taking their time. Took me almost a week to adapt to the new normal!

Today Sarah and I visited our favorite nail salon - Tips and Toes. We had our pedicures and manicures and are now ready for school. The lady who did my toes was from the Philippines. As we tried to have a conversation (language challenge), she told me of her four children. She had one son and three daughters. The oldest son is 20, the youngest girl is 10. She saw them for a month in June and will see them again in two years. While this is common here, it always makes my heart ache. As I watched and listened to her, I wonder if there was any doubt in her mind where "home" was.

Well, for now, this is "home". Still using those quotation marks I see! Oh well.....