we greeted the travelers in boston with bottles of moxie, and a bag of peach rings for max.
after feasting on american-style indian food in central square, we sent max and his mom on their way home to maine. zoë wanted to spend a little time with her mana and pop in cambridge, and it was a gorgeous summery day of strolling and iced tea from peet's and listening to tales from india and china and japan, and a few tears too.
when she got home, zoë reunited with her beloved miss gliss right away. not only that, but there was a papier-mâché project undertaken almost immediately. more on that later.
below, isaac's belated birthday present -- a mahjong set purchased at a chinese "dirt market," one of zoë's most successful haggling experiences. max and zoë taught us the basic rules.
what else? since she's been home, we've artwalked, met up with some old friends, eaten korean tacos, observed some congress street eccentricity (and no, i don't mean david meiklejohn), shopped for college bed-length sheets, sipped iced coffee, made paninis and pan bagna and tibetan momos, and spent some quality time on the beach.
it is wonderful to have her home. being able to reach over and touch her is kind of unbelievable after six months of seeing her only via skype, or her words on google chat, of finding her location on the map thirteen hours and so many miles away. there are so many things to fit into this whirlwind summer. she is my scrabble buddy, my walking-downtown companion, the only one who finds certain things as funny as i do. i have plans to try and slow this fleeting summer down, to enjoy every minute. meanwhile, zoë is still easing out of jetlag, sleeping fitfully and feeling overcome by a wave of exhaustion every day around four o'clock. also, she misses the adventure desperately, is deeply nostalgic for all of it, even as she eases back into sweet everyday life at home. it's a complicated time, to tell you the truth, for all of us.
