State of Normalcy

Dearest Rachel –

Is it strange that it’s been half a week since getting off the ship before I start telling you anything about life back home?

You’d think that there wasn’t anything to talk about here, now that I’ve returned to a state of normalcy. And let’s face it, you wouldn’t be that far wrong. Compared to life on vacation, the day-to-day life of home is exactly that. What’s to tell you that I haven’t talked to you about already? Besides, I still had a few things that I hadn’t gotten a chance to go into detail with while we were aboard the ship (and, to be fair, I didn’t feel motivated to write about while on the airplane; I’m not entirely sure why), so I decided to keep going with that for a couple of days after getting back.

But now that I’ve exhausted that supply, what can I tell you about? The boys did have a few newsworthy bits to share with me when I came through the door Sunday evening, but I’m not sure I caught them all at the time… and some of the ones I did may have escaped in the interim. The one thing that really stood out will probably grow in importance (and detail) later on, so there’s really not much to say about it at the moment – and in any event, it’s technically something I’ve already gone over with you in the past (and when Daniel and I actually get back to it, which I expect we will, you’ll recognize that).

Basically, the world – or rather, my world, such as it is – has reverted back to normal, with all the attendant accouterments that you’ve come to expect from it in these letters. I’m back to dealing with the cold of a Chicago winter – although it’s nowhere near as cold as it was when I left, so that’s something. And I hardly need to tell you that I’ve lost ground in my attempts to lose weight – you know what cruise ship food is like, and even the rest of my meals in Miami were worth writing home about – but even as of this morning, I’ve managed to claw my way back under two-fifteen, if only just, and only after some strenuous exercise. Considering that Sunday night saw me tipping the scales at a bit over two-twenty (a place I haven’t been since late August), the drop of some seven pounds in less than half a week is reassuring. In fact, who knows? Maybe I needed to back up in order to get a running start at two-ten and points south of there; it’s possible that this break might have been just what my metabolism needed to get started on really burning fuel.

But that’s only speculation for now; time will tell if this actually comes to anything, and I’m still a long way from my lowest point to date. Still, I’ve been able to get out and at it more often than not, and I’m getting results; we’ll have to see what comes of it.

Likewise, I suppose I could tell you about the fact that, at least for a moment, my profile has been blowing up on the dating app. I spent way too much time during Sparks answering questions from one particular woman who was chatting with me (then again, most of the work I do takes place either before or after club, so it wasn’t really interfering with what I needed to be doing. Still, it’s not the most opportune time to be doing something like this. Then again, it’s not as if I’m keen on it when I’m at home, hanging out with Daniel, either). Visiting her would require crossing state lines, but that’s better than the several others who, like “Mary,” turned out to be from Kazakhstan (what is it about that country in particular that causes them to pretend to be someone other that who they are, to try to attract American men?). There are other issues between us, but this is what’s going on at the moment.

But since none of this has actually yielded results (at least, none that exceed points already reached previously), is it worth telling you about? I can’t say that it is, and yet I feel the need to get in touch with you in any event, so this is the best I can do in terms of a topic; a few snippets of my life that don’t amount to much on an individual basis, but which together comprise all that I’ve returned home to.

And for all that it’s normal, ordinary and outright banal in comparison, it’s also comfortable and familiar. The only thing that’s missing from this cozy scene is you. But if you can keep your eye on me in the meantime, and wish me luck, I’d certainly appreciate it. After all, I’m still going to need it.