When reality sets back in...

I was really glad but kind of sad to wash Paris off of me when I hopped in the shower this morning. The jet lag hasn't affected me yet but I think it will this afternoon.

After more than a full day of buses, planes, flight delays and layovers, I rolled into the house half past midnight fully expecting to fall in bed and fall asleep but instead I stood silently in the middle of my room not sure what to do with myself. I heard a sleepy "Laura?" coming from Carri's room. I spoke with her briefly. We both agreed it seemed like I had been gone a very long time. She said she was glad I was home. I would have said “me too” but I couldn't, so I said I was really glad to see her -- much more truthful.

I'm not ready to be home. I want to be back in Europe. I didn't want to fall asleep last night because I knew falling asleep would officially mark the end of vacation. I would wake up in the morning and it would be like I had never been gone. But sadly, the spell broke before I climbed under the bedsheets. As soon as I watched the familiar image of my hand opening my closet door, normalcy set in and the alternate reality I had reveled in for the past two weeks began to close. This started a chain of mundane movements such as closing the blinds, opening my dresser drawers and plugging my cell phone in its charger. I debated saving my phone messages for the next day but decided to listen to them. Five messages from Grandma Durham. The first asking me to call her and the next four asking me why I haven't called her back. There were others from people that I could have sworn knew I was gone. Odd.

I would go on and on about all the places I went and the great people I was with, how much fun I had, and the friends I made, but I learned awhile ago that no one really cares or wants to hear about your trips to Europe. So I'm posting some pictures you're free to look at if you wish. They all have captions, but you need to scroll over the image if you want to read them. In a day or two I'll post a clip of the choir I was with rehearsing (the reason for the trip) in Gloucester Cathedral. I think they sang in a total of 10 or 11 venues. I was lucky to be invited along.

Here is a very brief clip of the choir singing an impromptu recital in Gloucester Cathedral.