The In-Between Time, Chapter One

It was a little strange coming home from the UK this time–maybe because I had been awake for the entire return journey, maybe because of the mind-blowing philosophy book I bought for the trip, or perhaps from the heat that hit us in Atlanta…but most likely because I wasn’t sure how long I might call this place “home”. The scenery looked slightly different, in a undefinable sort of way, and I felt a sort of pride in belonging to this place.

On the plane from Nashville to Atlanta I had been seated next to a woman with an incredibly gentle smile; Drew and I were not assigned seats together. She told me about the 16 day trip from which she was returning, her daughter who lived in Germany, the time she lived outside of Washington D.C., her husband (an orthopedic surgeon in Nashville), and her recent interest in macrobiotic cuisine. She eventually asked about my trip. When I told her about Drew’s job offer in London, she smiled knowingly. She told me about her time living in the big city–and the contrast of life in the suburbs.

“While you are young you should experience big and bustling,” she said. “You can’t appreciate the life you have here because it is all you have ever known. But don’t worry about the decision to go or to stay; wherever you are together, that will be home.”

I wasn’t sure at the time that our short conversation was meaningful. With a few days gone by, I am so thankful to have made the decision to keep my seat.