My baby came home today!

[PassingFair]

My 16-year old has been on a student exchange in INDIA
for 11 months.

We picked her up at the airport this morning....

It is like she never left; and

it is like she is a different person,

all at the same time.


I am as happy as I was on my wedding day.

It was THAT emotional for me.

We are having a party for her on Saturday,
celebrating all of the holidays she missed.

Did I mention how HAPPY I am tonight?

[auntAgonist]

1. That's awesome news .... Are ya happy?

:rofl:

I'm glad your family is reunited. I'm sure she's going to have some wonderful stories to tell of her experience in India.

Welcome home WannabePassingFair.

aA
:hug:

[PassingFair]

2. I just tucked her in....

she wanted her DUVET put together because
she is COLD...

It was 110 in Mumbai this morning,
it's in 80's here, I think!

She is glad to be back in Michigan!

[Bullwinkle925]

3. How wonderful for you . . .

11 months - holey moley, that's a long time.
My daughter was only gone for 3 months once studying abroad and I thought I'd die.
I'm glad she's home safely - and yes, you'll be seeing huge changes in her.
Congrats all around.

[PassingFair]

4. For the first two weeks, I thought I would not survive!

Like she just went *poof* and she was gone....

It got easier, but now I can really exhale!

[Bullwinkle925]

5. I totally understand that feeling.

Have a wonderful party - I'm sure you'll be hearing some amazing stories from her.

:grouphug:

[PassingFair]

9. Her "host family" didn't treat her very well, but BOY, did she learn

..how to take care of herself and the value
of putting aside differences and making friends!!!

She woke up this morning with a smile on her face
and came with me to drop her little sister off
at school.

The two of them are almost the same height now,
and that freaked her out!


She loves India, and is a little afraid of
falling back into her old sedentary ways....

She brought us all back Indian clothes, which
we'll be wearing on Saturday.

[Bullwinkle925]

14. I hope you'll be able to take and post pics (with her permission, of course) . . .

of the party. Sounds like so much fun!

WOO HOO!!!!!

[zanne]

6. I'm happy for you! nt

[applegrove]

7. Joy to you. Enjoy.

[BarenakedLady]

8. Yay!

:woohoo:

[DaydreaminHippie68]

10. She's a groovy cat guys!

Really groovy!

[PassingFair]

11. Be sure to wear your....

MURSE!!!!

She thinks you're pretty far-out, too!

:hi:

[DaydreaminHippie68]

12. I plan on it....

I basically went to sleep with it on yesterday.

[PassingFair]

13. Hey, when you talk to WannaBe....

tell her to ask Michelle to the party, too.

OK?

[DaydreaminHippie68]

31. Will do

[HillLuvr]

15. yay!

[Midlodemocrat]

16. Aw, that is absolutely wonderful!

Enjoy her! I hope she had an amazing time!

:hug: to WannaBePassingFair and her mom as well.

[PassingFair]

20. Life Changing...

and for the better!

:)

[graywarrior]

17. Beautiful!

So happy that you're happy.

[PassingFair]

18. She got nauseated at the mall....

she's not used to consumerism.

And she was obnoxiously loud about
the prices of imported clothes.

I told her, "You're in 'murka,
you gotta DRESS 'MURKAN".

Bumpy road ahead... when my own
daughter makes ME feel like
a FREEPER!!!

[graywarrior]

19. LOL

[BlondieK143]

21. Aww yay!

So glad that she's back!

[redqueen]

22. Awwww...

I can't imagine my kids leaving to go so far, for so long.

I don't want them to grow up!

[PassingFair]

23. She REALLY pushed to go.

She tried to go to the Czech Republic
when she was 14, and I wouldn't let
her go....

So she found out about Rotary International
and did all the paperwork and applications
herself.

I decided it would be a mistake to hold her
back.

Apparently, her host family was very cold to
her, but she stuck it out...

She has made life-long friends, and she talks
about them the way men talk about their
war-buddies.

[redqueen]

25. Aw... thanks for saying that.

Makes it much easier to think about the situation logically. If she did all the prep work herself, then yeah... that'd be hard to argue with.

But still... :scared:

Can't imagine how it would have been anything but immensely rewarding and enriching...

[PassingFair]

26. I was in denial in the months leading up to her departure...

it really didn't hit me until a week before
she left that she would be gone for almost
a year.

I cried on and off for 2 weeks after she left,
worried sick about her, but then her host family
finally got her set up with a cell phone, and
we could text at any time, and call each other
about once a week...

I don't know how parents coped in the days
before calling cards. I really don't.

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. I am so happy she is home.

It was good to hug her.

Make sure she sees this.

I'm so happy.

[PassingFair]

27. She was happy to hug you, too.

She is as relentless as ever, by the way!

:hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. Awesome...

I meant to add this for her to see...d'oh!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=7791041&mesg_id=7791041

[bigwillq]

29. That is such wonderful news!

Glad she is home. :hi: :hug:

[PassingFair]

30. It's just like "The Monkey's Paw", only she's...

not un-dead!!!!

:hi:

It is wonderful to have her back.
I cannot really express it.

[merh]

32. I'm so happy for you all -

Welcome home WannabePassingFair :bounce:

Nothing like reunions and homecomings :woohoo: :grouphug: