Was It Really Just A Week Ago?

A view of the pyramids from the desert side, Cairo is in the distance.

The Grand Pyramid up close. This is the pyramid we went inside of.

A stairway leading to the original entrance of the Grand Pyramid.
Looking up to the original entrance.

Sometimes when I travel, especially when the destination is "exotic", I have a hard time getting my mind around the idea that I've really been there when I return home and get back into a normal routine. I've had a bit of that feeling this past few days as I've been thinking about Egypt. Maybe it's the huge contrast in climate and culture. Today is grey, foggy and rainy, nothing at all like the scorching temperatures and humidity of Egypt. This morning I went to a hair appointment, my drive to the salon was calm, no honking, no one cutting me off, one car per lane. After the hair appointment, I met the husband at our favorite terriyaki place for lunch...we could read the menu and order easily and we paid for our food with the same currency that we have in our bank accounts so there were no mental conversion rate calculations to determine cost, thoughts of possible stomach issues brought on from the food we were eating never entered our minds. Generally, life at home is easy and predictable. Traveling can be rough and unpredictable at times, but (to me) that's what makes it great. There is a sense of satisfaction after successfully ordering a meal, negotiating a taxi fare, or visiting a sight that you've only read about in a textbook. Traveling can be exhausting, but that's the first thing that I forget, it's the exciting moments and the cross-cultural interactions that I hold onto. Somewhere in the haze of the jet lag in the first few days home, I've found myself trying to put into context the amazing experiences I had in Egypt. My past travel experiences have shaped my world view and my goals...sometimes it just takes a little time to digest and reflect after an amazing trip.