US-bound with bath towels

Gosh this is a tough week - saying good-bye to so many people who have become part of my daily life, so many fantastic people - all of my employees, my co-managers, other friends at work, hiking friends, family (Jeannie's), and friends of friends that are now friends. Last day *in* the office is tomorrow (which will be "today," very shortly!), and then I'm flying back on Sunday. I knew when I started that the months would fly by, and they have.

And I have so much to tell you all about, and so much that I've even written up, but haven't sent out, yet. I need to at least tell you about the bath towels. . .

I've had the pleasure and honor to be able to visit a lot of people in a lot of different houses, and stay over at a lot of different people's houses. If someone has lived in the US, before, it's a little different - they know the US ways, but for people who haven't, I sometimes am surprised by something that is so normal here, and not so normal in the US.

In general, when visiting people, here, along with your toothbrush and toothpaste, you're expected to bring your towel and soap. Well, I, of course, forgot this the first (and second and third) time I stayed overnight at someone's house. So, there I was, I needed a shower, and I'd forgotten to bring a towel with me. I requested one from my host. Sure!!!! He came back with a US-perspective "tiny" towel, which I thought was a kitchen towel (maybe 1-1/2foot by 2-1/2feet long?), and he proudly said "here you go!" It was obviously nice and new. Wow! Was I surprised! Besides my surprise, I remember asking myself how I was going to dry myself with that small piece of cloth. But then I thought about it. Here was a big guy giving a smaller me a "bath towel". Well, if HE can use something like this, than SURELY *I* can. I did, of course. And then I thought some more about it. Maybe that is why everyone has such small luggage when they travel, while my pack is pretty big. I started taking the towels that I bought for my kitchen dish towels (to dry dishes & hands) as my bath towel when travelling. At one point I realized that it's bigger than my US camping towel. . . My kitchen towel-cum-bath towel works, and it saves room. At home, I'll still be quite happy to use my big towels. . .

And home I shall be, in just a matter of days. I know that there are a ton of people that I'm forgetting to say goodbye to, here. I will just have to come back to say it, later, I guess. . .

Stay healthy.

leora