brace for impact

as i've been preparing for my 10,000 kilometer trek on thursday, i've begun to remember just how much of a hassle traveling can be sometimes. particularly when going so far. to say nothing of the fact that it is not ameliorated in any way by me not leaving until the 23rd of december.

i do think i've finally got most of the trinkets, etc. that i need in order to make a decent appearance at christmas, though---which is not as easy as you might think. i mean, really, you can't just say "hi from switzerland, here have a hunk of cheese!" no, no, that wouldn't do at all... trust me, there really isn't much of anything in the way of things that i can afford that people might actually want from switzerland. i finally found the few appropriate items that there are, and those are tucked safely into my suitcase.

anyway, back on track. so i was wondering this afternoon, how much of a culture shock am i in for coming back after more than a year? i know i used to live there (for 23 years), but life seemed so different here when i arrived, and now i've sorta gotten used to it. will home seem strange to me now? well, probably, but at least part of that will be due to the fact that my family is certifiably nutz, and they're always strange. but you know what i mean.

man, i'm pretty excited about seeing some of the old friends though. they may be old ones, but they're also good ones. :) have a merry christmas everybody. see you soon...