In the days and weeks that followed, we stepped back into our old lives. Some people were genuinely curious about what we’d done, but most eagerly moved on to other topics.
We set about reconstructing our lives at home. We registered the kids for public school in the fall. Caroline rejoined the swim team and signed up to play field hockey. Conor booked a week at his favorite adventure camp and reunited with his friend Dana to work on movies together. I found clients and rustled up work. And Dani, as always, handled the hard stuff: helping the kids finish their schoolwork for the year and managing the household and all the details of our lives.
Soon it was clear that the America we had returned to was not the America we had left. Boom times were over, the economy was in a shambles and everyone and everything felt uncertain. Still, among our friends, there was a deep faith that things would get better—eventually.
If our country had changed while we were away, we had changed, too. We returned more tolerant and respectful of differences. More aware of the things that bring people together and drive them apart. More appreciative of other cultures and other ways to live.
As Dani had predicted, within days after returning home we were running in a thousand different directions. We no longer ate every meal together, slept in the same room, shared every detail of every day. And though our connection remains, I believe it will be years before we truly grasp the full impact of our journey.
One night, a few weeks after our return, the four of us found ourselves in Caroline’s room, gathered around her bed, gossiping about the news of the day. We were dishing fast and furious, swapping stories, jokes, the latest outrages and rumors.
“Look at us,” I said. “All crowded around Caroline’s bed, crammed in this one room. Just like when we were on the trip.”
We laughed and kept talking. Soon it was 11 p.m., and Dani, never a late-night girl, was ready for bed. As she stood to leave, Conor protested.
“Mom,” he said, taking Dani’s hand. “Please don’t go. We’re not done yet.”
Craig James is a public affairs and marketing consultant living in Silver Spring. Dani James writes a local travel blog for Bethesda Magazine, www.moco360.media. You can read more about the Jameses’ trip around the world at www.thewidewideworld.com.
