I have been majorly neglectful. I have a mound of papers to write and books to read, and little motivation to anything but sleep. I was able to get some of the work done before I came home, but I put everything else on the back burner so I could focus on coming home. I don’t know if it was just because I really wanted to come home, or if because I was being karmacally rewarded for having to put up with the freshers in my dorm, but it was one of the easiest travel days I have ever had. Flights were on time, seats were not so bad (I did have to sit next to obnoxious Americans, and the guy behind me didn’t believe in deodorant on for the bulk of the trip, but I was able to block all that out) and I made it home in record time. Seeing my mom and David at the airport was the happiest I have been in a long time. I severely underestimated how much I would miss being in texting range with them.

I’ve been home less than a week, but I feel like I never really left. I was worried that I would feel out of place, or be in everyone’s way, but although everyone’s schedules are the same, and still as busy as ever, I don’t feel out of place or in the way in the slightest. I’ve enjoyed my bed and properly cooked meals with lots of variety. I even had the chance to meet my nephew. I made not entirely agree with the way he had to start his adventure in this world, but he is perfect. He is calm, but alert, and doesn’t mind being passed around to all of the willing hands. I am not quite ready for my own tiny human, but he sure makes it easy to want one. He is going to set a hard bar for all other babies to live up to.

I have a lot to do while I am home, juggling visits between the families, trying to see all of the friends that I have missed, and getting my papers written. As of now, I am just about done with one, but I can already feel myself getting lazy and finding reasons to put it off. One of the only things that will save me is that David will more than likely have work to do and I will be forced to do mine to keep me busy while I wait. Of course he has been at work all day and I have done everything but work on my papers. If anyone feels the need to write a paper on language acquisition, critical discourse analysis, or the language used in picture books, I would be more than happy to turn over the papers.