it's not summer anymore

back from pakistan! oh my goodness, i've only been gone two and a half weeks and yet it feels like months. usually i go away, do different things, get used to foreign-ness, and upon coming back, snap right back into chicago-mode. it takes no time at all. this time, however, everything seems familiar, but oddly new. i've lived in my house all my life and yet i'm walking around thinking how nice this is or how interesting that is. brushing my teeth yesterday morning, i spent the longest time marveling at how nice my bathroom is. i feel like i've been gone for ages!

the strangest thing is this- for the past two weeks, i've known that fall would be here when i got back to chicago, and i've been looking forward to a long respite from the disabling heat. yet when i woke up yesterday morning in my own bed, and it was chilly outside, i was shocked. i felt COLD. and all of these orange leaves and red leaves and yellow leaves... woah! what's going on! it's maybe 70 degrees out today and i'm wearing three layers.

it's good to be back, even if i do need gloves.