When "Weird" Seems Normal.

It's funny the things we can get used to. Living cross-culturally gives lots of opportunity for being exposed to what might seem "weird" from my own cultural perspective, but is totally normal in my host culture. I was riding in an auto today (facing near-death experiences at every turn---sorry Mom!), and it seemed SO normal. I even kept yawning at how "boring" my ride had been. And then I thought about the other things that I see (and smell) every time I walk out my front door. Things like... heaping piles of trash, horrendously strong BO, non-existent people or places (that were promised to be there), the head-bobble of agreement, and being stared at constantly when I'm running to pick up shampoo at the store. Things that drove me crazy when we first arrived are now just part of daily life. Of course, there are days when these things (and many others) still bother me. I don't think I'll ever truly become "Indian." As I rode along, I thought, "This is so weird that this is my life." What's even stranger is that this life is now normal to me. I can't even imagine what it will be like to go back to America again. Will I bobble my head at people? Wear bangles up to my elbows? Start using phrases like, "Veg" and "Non-veg, please" to denote if I want my meal with or without meat? I'm truly hoping I won't be totally awkward in my own culture when we return in a little over a year :) We are blessed to have friends all over the world and it's amazing to see and hear about the many, many cultures the Father has allowed to develop. All so different. And India is definitely a strange beast. And yet, with the weird "new normals" that have come with it, I wouldn't have it any other way.