Here and Gone…
I’m back in New York…for the moment.
I arrived home safely last night, a bit early even. We had a nice wind behind us so I was able to get off the plane, through customs, and outside for my mom to pick me up, without having to pay for (expenisve) parking.
I was even held up for a few minutes in customs, because I checked “Yes” when asked if I was bringing in food. I had with me some yellow raisans (less sweet then dark ones), several jars of olives and a jar of preserved lemons…which is what got me stopped.
I was asked what the lemons were preserved with and I said I honestly didn’t know. They asked if it was like jelly…no, not really. Like Vinegar…more like vinegar then jelly, but not vinegar. At this point they said they should take a look at it, because citrus is the most regulated item in the world. (learn something new everyday.)
As soon as they got the box open another of the customs guys came up and said they didn’t need to look at it, because he knew what I had. I thanked them for not making me take the whole box apart because I seriously doubted my ability to get everything back in. We had a short discussion of Moroccan cuisine and the customs official even reccomended a restaurant. And then I was on my way…
New York feels a bit chilly to me at the moment, though it’s warmer then when I left. I expected the temperature shock to be worse though. Still, the grey clouds hanging over NYC were the antithesis of Moroccan sunshine, and I felt as gloomy as the clouds to be back in “not-quite-Spring”.
At home I unpacked the box to show my mom all the goodies I brought home. To my dismay, nearly everything was damaged or out-right broken! I tried to remain calm as I took one damaged item after another from the box, but finally broke into tears when I sliced my finger open on a piece of glass from a broken jar of olives. What can I say, it was a long day.
I was, indeed, pretty exhausted last night. When I lay down to sleep though thoughts swirled in my head of: mule drawn carts, spice pyramids, Moroccans in their ankle length djebellas, sweet mint tea, and all the other things I will miss, especially the smiling faces.
Today, after sleeping late, it was time to unpack, do laundry and re-pack. I have just 5 days in New York before I leave for Europe. Okay, I haven’t re-packed just yet…but I will soon enough.
It’s time now to deal with Mom’s last minute questions, figuring out if all of our stuff will fit in my backpack (easier to manage then 2 suitcases), and other sundry items before the next trip.
On Tuesday I will be on a plane to Vienna, which I’m very excited about. I can’t wait for grand buildings, wall-to-wall culture, to-die-for coffee and sinful desserts. I can’t wait to see my mom’s face light up as she travels Europe for the first time.
As usual, I’ll keep you all posted…
Tags: Life at 'Home'
LizG
Hey Liz,
hope Europe is treating you well….fancy changing your plans and bringing your mom over to the UK for some beer and tall stories?
Philip