After living in Europe (see, I'm doing it already) for about 4 months, my world had already gotten adjusted to this new way of living.  

Of everything being so much smaller.

Of riding a bike everywhere (and not having a car).

Of being in a restaurant where everyone seemed to be inordinately close.

When I got back home, I was amazed at just how much space we have.  Just...s p a c e. The roads are wider, the aisles in the stores are wider, the room for restaurants is more, there's just more, more, more.

Of course on the flip side, at 30% obesity rate, apparently we need the space. I wonder if all our space made us want to grow into it - like a child with their older brother's pants, we just couldn't wait to expand into all that space that was given to us.

However, after having been back for 3 weeks and quickly gaining 5 lbs during this time, I do have to blame our easy access to sugar-laden food, a high-dependency on cars, and relatively sedentary lifestyle as the likely source of our body's manifest destiny.

I didn't see home as some bad place - I think a lot of Americans come home and either say, "THANK GOD!" or say, "This place is horrible...when I lived in Europe..." For me, it was just a place - a very comfortable place that I love and care about and feel very patriotic towards. At the same time, I know that there are lots of places in the world where one can build a home and feel just as strongly about. It's really about figuring out what parts of life are important to you and the best place you can live that can fulfill those wants.  

As for now, I am not 100% sure where the place is. You'd think I'd have figured it out by now, but alas, I feel I still have a lot more wandering to do.

But eventually I'll come home.