A Familiar Stranger

The process of settling in has been very interesting. Things seem different and yet at the same time familiar. Such an odd juxtaposition. There was a flood of familiar smells and sights and sounds when we first arrived (British cleaning products, mixed with the musky undertones of soup and potatoes). Almost immediately, though, there was the remembrance of all the little irritations of being somewhere else and trying to keep a routine in someplace different. Some of these irritations grew gradually the last time, and were not really troublesome until the very end, at which point we were eager to get home and do things OUR way. There was no honeymoon phase this time; those little annoyances crowded in alongside the fond nostalgia. I don't want to become too complacent about the magnificence of being here (having, after all, seen it all before). As with any relationship, there are days when it is the memory of that first exuberant passion that is the only thing which keeps that relationship going when the going gets tough.
The staff at the manor house does an excellent job of being welcoming and patient with yet another crop of Americans who are attempting to navigate the inanities of life in this place. As a teacher, it would be very tiring to teach first-semester freshmen every single term of every year. And yet, that is precisely what these people are doing. The positive aspect can't be dismissed, however: every term they get to see their own world anew through the eyes of rookie explorers. I suppose that is the reward.
We have been well-received on this trip. And the experience of having been here before has greatly reduced some of the stress of relocating with a family to a different place. In the balance, being a familiar stranger has been a very satisfying experience.