I'm not exactly sure why that 1960's book title came to mind but it did seem appropriate. I just returned from my first trip to Cincinnati since we landed in Singapore. I had a business trip planned for quite some time and it finally came to fruition. I was both excited and nervous. Both for all of the obvious reasons. I landed and checked into a hotel (also as previously planned) in order to stay close to the office. I was so curious how it would feel to be a "guest" in my home town. It sucked. Partially because the hotel was not my first choice (everything was booked). But mostly because I realized that I needed to be home. I was more than relieved when Friday came and I checked out of the Hyatt and directly into Chez Mills in TP (Penthouse Suite aka cozy attic on Rugby). I continue to be and remain forever grateful to Jeff and Meghan Mills for 1) letting us have the house in the days leading up to our departure and 2) welcoming me into their home as a guest. I really should have taken pictures of what their first floor looked like before we left. Thankfully, they were in Florida. Their entire living/dining room area was used as the staging zone for packing. We had 12 suitcases open, partially packed, with mounds of bags from Target containing everything we could get our hands on. Oh, and let's not forget the pile of winter clothes on their way to Goodwill. It was crazy! That was my last memory of TP. And unexpectedly a painful one.
So it was lovely to arrive on a recent Friday in August and sit in that very room (much tidier now, of course) and enjoy a regrounding glass of wine. I thought it would feel strange to be on my street by not in my house. It didn't. I thought that I would become desperately homesick. I didn't. I was warned by colleagues that there is never enough time to do it all (work and personal stuff) as planned. They were right. But boy did I do my best to cram it all in.
Work was great. Back to back meetings just trying to get in as much time with my team in Cinci as possible. We did a lot together. And yet barely scratched the surface.
I went to BEAT to work out every day with Jason (and Allison when she could muster up the early morning energy). It was like I never missed a beat (ha, no pun intended). There is absolutely no substitute in Singapore for my workouts at BEAT. I have tried but not succeeded. So it was a great reminder on all of the things that my body craves and how well it responds to the right strength training. Such a difference in just one week. I think I have an alternate plan to keep it going in Singapore despite all obstacles to date. Thanks a lot (NOT!) to Jason who commented on my squats "Oh how the mighty have fallen". Let's see if I can impress him every so slightly by the time I am back in Cinci in October.
I played tennis with the TP crew and Marie. I saw as many friends and neighbors as possible (and apologized profusely to those I will have to defer until October). I dragged Anita shopping with me and the criticisms on both sides were just like old times :-)
And I even took a risk and knocked on the door at home to introduce myself to the tenants who are lovely and loving our home as much as we hoped.
I'm sure I forgot something. But it doesn't matter because being home was fabulous and everything I did not expect. It made me NOT feel like everything is about Singapore. It made me realize that home is still home....we just live someplace else for now. It reminded me that our friendships endure no matter the distance. And it made me more grounded in life in general after the crazy year of adjustments we have just endured. Now I need to get the family home at some point as well so that they can feel the same. We've been avoiding all of it for fear that it would somehow change Singapore. It hasn't. We can now truly Carpe Diem and enjoy. Transition is over. Bring it! We are all OK. (Spoiler Alert: we have booked trips for upcoming school holidays so watch this space as the Kohlmans hit the road in Asia again....)
So it was lovely to arrive on a recent Friday in August and sit in that very room (much tidier now, of course) and enjoy a regrounding glass of wine. I thought it would feel strange to be on my street by not in my house. It didn't. I thought that I would become desperately homesick. I didn't. I was warned by colleagues that there is never enough time to do it all (work and personal stuff) as planned. They were right. But boy did I do my best to cram it all in.
Work was great. Back to back meetings just trying to get in as much time with my team in Cinci as possible. We did a lot together. And yet barely scratched the surface.
I went to BEAT to work out every day with Jason (and Allison when she could muster up the early morning energy). It was like I never missed a beat (ha, no pun intended). There is absolutely no substitute in Singapore for my workouts at BEAT. I have tried but not succeeded. So it was a great reminder on all of the things that my body craves and how well it responds to the right strength training. Such a difference in just one week. I think I have an alternate plan to keep it going in Singapore despite all obstacles to date. Thanks a lot (NOT!) to Jason who commented on my squats "Oh how the mighty have fallen". Let's see if I can impress him every so slightly by the time I am back in Cinci in October.
I played tennis with the TP crew and Marie. I saw as many friends and neighbors as possible (and apologized profusely to those I will have to defer until October). I dragged Anita shopping with me and the criticisms on both sides were just like old times :-)
And I even took a risk and knocked on the door at home to introduce myself to the tenants who are lovely and loving our home as much as we hoped.
I'm sure I forgot something. But it doesn't matter because being home was fabulous and everything I did not expect. It made me NOT feel like everything is about Singapore. It made me realize that home is still home....we just live someplace else for now. It reminded me that our friendships endure no matter the distance. And it made me more grounded in life in general after the crazy year of adjustments we have just endured. Now I need to get the family home at some point as well so that they can feel the same. We've been avoiding all of it for fear that it would somehow change Singapore. It hasn't. We can now truly Carpe Diem and enjoy. Transition is over. Bring it! We are all OK. (Spoiler Alert: we have booked trips for upcoming school holidays so watch this space as the Kohlmans hit the road in Asia again....)