First of all, I want to wish all of my readers a happy 2007. I am currently in Edmonton, Alberta on vacation and I have not been blogging about Japan. Today I want to reflect a little on what it is like to return to North America after three years living in Japan.
The first thing I noticed was that North Americans are much fatter than they used to be. This is something I could see right after getting off the plane. I observed way more XL sized families that I have ever seen. This was true of Canada as well as the US. Of course I’m not a model of a healthy lifestyle, but I think there is a real problem happening here. One that wasn’t noticeable when I left. One that that is now out in the open.
I also happened to notice some new trends in my travels. For example, Family Guy seems to be the dominant animated show in North America. That wasn’t the case when I left. People also seem to be more into politics than they used to. I think this is a good thing. I am also happy to say that Americans and Canadians are a lot friendlier and louder than I remember them being.
On a more personal level, I was overcome by emotion when I saw my family again. I think three years was far too long to have been away. I never plan to make that mistake again. The same can be said for my closest friends back in North America. I never want to go more than a year and a half without meeting up with them. There are some things in this life we cannot sacrifice, and I came very close to giving them up.
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In many ways this trip has been bittersweet. The happiness and the intensity of visiting old friends and family has been contrasted with the stress and frustrations of traveling a long way. I missed a connection due to weather in Chicago and spent all day at the airport waiting for my 7:55pm flight. However, that very same delay allowed me to meet up with my good friend Eli, who was visiting from Vancouver during the holidays. In meeting the people that have met the most to me, I have realized that time has left fresh scars on all of us. I can only pray that when I return for good that we all haven’t changed so much that we become incompatible. That would be a tragedy indeed. A tragedy that, because of my distance from all of us, only I could be responsible for.
I have also had a stark realization about my life. I am now an International nomad. I live in Japan, but they will never accept me as one of them. My family is living in the US, but that is not my home. Edmonton and Calgary are where many of my best friends and my past live, but without family, it seems a little emptier than it used to. Where exactly do I belong in this very large and frighting world? Perhaps now would be the time to stake my claim as a citizen of the Earth. It feels more natural, somehow.
Hey, Jason. I was glad to have spent some time with you while you were back in North America.
I was curious about how you felt about good ol’ North America (the BEST continent in the western hemisphere!) since you have the perspective of being away for such a long time.
It’s difficult but indeed it does seem like your home, as you knew it, isn’t really there. Maybe if your family stayed in Alberta it would be right but they’ve left, we’ve left, Eli’s in Vancouver… everyone’s starting to move away. That’s an unavoidable part of life, however. Calgary has become my home and Edmonton is that “other city” more than ever after all these years… I expect to be here for many years to come.
In your case, I would say that it’s a double-edged sword. You may feel separated and isolated from all these places, but you can choose where you want to go, where to live. You have dual citizenship so opportunities from Florida to Inuvik are available to you. No place will feel like home until you settle in, make friends and connections and understand the place that you like. I guess what I’m saying is that you won’t ever “belong” somewhere again until you invest the time and energy into making it your home.
We’d like to see you back here in Alberta but frankly the weather in much of the rest of the world’s a lot nicer most of the year! It’s ultimately up to you. :)