The Journey Home...Kind Of

I was thinking about going into massive detail about my journey "home" but I am sure it would just be boring to you. Let's just say I left Berlin about noon on Monday, and now am finally in Chicago as of Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The past five nights I have slept someplace totally different, lugging about 200 lbs of luggage the whole time.

The luggage has been my pain, literally, since I got home. My entire body hurts. I have this extra large backpacking pack that was totally filled, plus an extra large suitcase. On top of that, two messenger bags filled as well to the brim. My shoulders are hard as rocks and my lower back is killing me. All contents are sprawled out on the floor as I type, my personal spite to the pain it has caused me.

After an extended Cubs game on Sunday, numerous Old Styles and a bout at the Hofbrauhaus on Clark Street (don't ask, we just kind of ended up there) I decided it would be wise for me to come home (as in, my friends house, then a $20 cab ride to my dad's downtown). The jet lag kicked in hard and I realized it's not as easy to recover like a two week trip overseas. The year abroad has seriously changed my internal clock and I find myself wanting to pass out about 4 p.m. It would probably not be as bad if I had say, a bed, or you know, an apartment and could get a decent nights sleep. I am currently camped out on my dad's couch while he is gone on a business trip until Friday.

Spent the day (unsuccessfully) looking for apartments and after about eight hours of driving around the city to look at crappy places with high rent I treated myself to a mini chorizo burrito with avacado slices. My fuel had been coffee, a banana and sugarfree gum since about 9 a.m. Tomorrow is more apartment searching and probably more frustration. If I am shown one more crap hole next to the expressway I am going to scream.

A big part of me just wants to curl up in a ball and block out whatever it is I have to deal with right now, but I don't have that choice. My best bet is sleep when I can and try not to completely flip out about my future. Things will work out, right?

Repatriation is a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.

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