There's nothing like getting something other than what you expected. Most of the time, it is a source of agitation as you get thrown off your comfort zone and you're forced to recalibrate and adapt or at the very least to cope with the situation. But this time, it was a welcome disconcertment. Although the whole thing brought to mind the old adage 'Be careful what you wish for', I was glad that it was just a glimpse and not something permanent.
The 6 weeks that I spent in the US gave me one of the biggest intangible lessons of my life. And although it was a comfortable plane right that brought me there, it might as well have been a hurricane because the first thought that I had the moment I landed back was 'There's no place like home.' Scarecrow, Lion, Tin Man, Witches and Wizards aside, the trip back home (which coincided with the new year) equipped me with brand new eyes.
It's probably my biggest take-away from the trip. And I'm tons glad because it means that I'm not simply aging.