The Halfway Point

I've now officially been here for three weeks and will be headed home in another three weeks. I've also reached that strange point where it feels completely normal to be here. It's almost like I never left. I think it's strange the way the mind works. At least for me, it seems that it can really only take in the immediate surroundings. When I'm in a certain place, be it Bucharest, Brasov, or Bloomington, that could just as well be the only place on earth. Of course I know objectively that other places exist and that life elsewhere is still moving along at the same speed as ever. But even though I get a constant reminder of that when I call friends and family at home, it just doesn't feel that way.

I don't know if this makes any sense, but because of this trick of perception, it doesn't feel like I was in the U.S. three weeks ago. It feels like I've always been here. When I arrived in Bucharest, the familiarity of the streets and the sights made it feel like I never left last summer. As though my Romanian self had taken a particularly long nap and awakened to find that a few things had changed, but for the most part the city had stayed the same. I've only been to Brasov briefly in the past, but my previous visit and its quintessential Romanianness make it familiar as well.

And with three weeks left to go, this strange feeling of inertia effects my thoughts about my departure as well. It doesn't seem real yet. Three weeks is long enough that I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that I'll be going home soon. It feels like I will be here indefinitely, just like it feels as though I've been here indefinitely.

I'm sorry if this post didn't make much sense. If you've had a similar experience with traveling or moving, I'd love to hear about it in comments or an email!