Our homecoming was unexpectedly easy. Sure, there was plenty of remediation work to be done with the house, but our neighbors welcomed us with open arms. No need to endear ourselves to them – apparently the social capital we’d put in the bank before we left was still there and had accrued interest.
Jason and Haruka made sure we were fed. They placed a box of freshly grown produce in our refrigerator for us to come home to and fixed us breakfast the next morning. Later, Scott and Rachel stopped by to welcome us home with warm hugs. Lyle and Tami took us to lunch the next afternoon and offered to cut down the oak tree that fell on our garage while we were gone. Everywhere we went in town, people stopped what they’re doing to rush over and welcome us home and our neighborhood homies are planning a welcome home potluck at Tami and Lyle’s new house.
Amy arrived a few days after we landed to help pull things together and our friend Nauzley flies in today. I think we’ll get out the Christmas garlands and dress up the house for the holidays. We are basking in good friends, good food, good cheer and frankly feeling a bit humbled by the unreserved affections of our friends and acquaintances.
We were also surprised at how easy it is to get things done here. The drive to the landfill for a trash sticker so we can self-haul our recycling and refuse was painless. We were met by a smiling clerk who waived the fee and welcomed us home. Ditto for getting our car registered and my driver’s license renewed. We keep wondering when we’ll stumble upon the potholes, traffic snags, police barricades, burning piles of trash and pestering children. Poised for the lights to go out, the water stop and the internet to quit. What’s the catch, we wonder?
In only a few short days we were set up with internet, a fully functioning kitchen, laundry, transportation and have mostly removed all signs left behind by some mice which took up residence earlier this year. Not to mention employment prospects!
All of these things reinforce our decision to invest heavily in our community and have us promising never to leave home again. We are home and home to stay!
