So, we guess this is it...

... the end. It was St. Patrick's Day today - a pretty important date in the Columban world. As we donned our green this morning, we thought of our Columban friends in Chile. They would be preparing for the big dinner at the Center House in Santiago. We also thought of our friends back at our old parishes. Many of them would also be celebrating. While not Irish, they have appropriated the festivities in order to accompany the many Irish missionaries who have shared with them over the years. Today, more than any of the days since we've been back, has been a sad day.

As time goes on, we realize more and more that our time in Chile is over. This is not a vacation. It's now home. But, it doesn't feel like home yet. Reverse culture shock is still going strong. We find everything strange and feel as if we don't quite fit in.

We know that it will pass and that we will soon get used to life in the northern hemisphere. But, in the meantime, as we look at photos of our loved ones back in Chile, and Joshua asks to go "in the plane, back home, to Iquique," it makes us sad. We tell him that we'll go there another day, and it keeps him happy for the time being.