I am about to enter the Twilight Zone once again. We return to Mexico in less than a week and I can hardly wait. Do any of my friends living abroad experience what I call the Time Capsule Effect? I'd like to know if anyone else experiences this. When we enter or leave Mexico or the U.S., it almost feels like we never left or that we've just been plopped back wherever we left off. They are just two totally different worlds. One moment I am in flip flops with the sand in my toes and the wind in my face, and the next moment I am back in Springfield squeezing into my Mini-Cooper and running to my Mother-in-law's house or the grocery store. It doesn't matter if I have been gone 6 months - it feels like I never left. It reminds me of the old Star Trek movies where Captain Kirk says, "Beam me up Scottie," and suddenly they are on a new planet. When we arrived in the U.S. the week before Christmas, I must admit I was enamored with the Christmas spirit and the cold weather only added to the romance. But after a week of literally freezing my buns off, I was ready to elope back to Mexico. I actually think I lost a little weight, which is amazing considering how much chocolate I have consumed. So with dried out sinuses and runny nose (how do you have both?) I am busily packing my bags and tidying my house for our joyous return to Mexico. Like James Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life," I will arrive on the island saying, "Hello Mr. Pelican!." "Hello Ferry!" "Glad to smell you salty air!" "Hello you beautiful 84 degree temperature!" "Good day Mr. Palm Tree!" "Olah Martivino! Benediciones Armin!" And I will soak in that view of the gorgeous Caribbean ocean that never ceases to take my breath away. I already am anticipating sitting on our rooftop and gazing up at the moon and a thousand stars our first night home. I am definitely ready to enter the Twilight Zone!
