How to Answer?

Picture this: You come back from a trip long enough that friends and family missed you, and everyone asks how it went, seemingly excited and somewhat jealous of the wonderful trip they imagine you've had. They suppose that the normal life you have "resigned" yourself to coming back to is boring and mundane, anxious to hear your larger-than-life version of the world beyond their own.  Everyone asks how you are doing, what you thought, and you do your best to sum up the recent past in a few words, unsure which of all your thoughts and experiences to share.  You begin by describing it as great/crazy/totally worthwhile, or something to that effect, and then either the conversation ends soon thereafter because you don't know where to begin and they don't have time anyway; or their eyes begin to glaze over and they get all shifty as you excitedly begin to answer and continue answering a question they asked, and your excitement fizzles out as you get the feeling they didn't really want that much of an answer; or they are just as excited as you and the conversation goes on, with questions and story-answers flying back and forth, perhaps indefinitely, or at least until you have to drag yourself back to real life and remember time constraints, possibly to continue the catching up soon.

Have you ever had that happen to you?  The trip?  The questions?  The answers?

I know that I frequently give long-winded answers and give people more information than they bargained for, but I'm feeling quite torn and, frankly, disappointed.  I know my colleagues, friends, and family are excited to have me back, but I don't want to give everyone the same one-word sum-up of the past three months of my life, and I do want to share what I've learned and done with them.  I don't want to completely take up the limelight, though, ending up feeling like a braggart of sorts.  So you can see that I have a bit of a dilemma as to how much answer to offer, and if doesn't make me feel any better when people ask questions and I get on a roll as I answer them, only to realize that they are ready to cut the conversation short and escape, as though to put a pause on it, or maybe even to hit the "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" button.  Lucky me, such a button doesn't exist outside of technology in social situations.

 

Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but I do feel a bit at a loss as to how much to say.  Thankfully, closer friends do seem much more interested and don't seem to mind me as much.  Maybe 'cause they know already how much I talk and they expect it.  ;)

I do try to share the conversation in my effort to not hog the conversation or steal the spotlight...

So, how was Europe?

It was crazy.  It had its ups and downs, and I learned a lot.  It was totally worth it, but I am glad to be home in the States.  If you want pics or to hear about what I did, most of it's on my blog.  If you have questions, ask.  It's great to see you again!

How was your summer?

***

Boy, I will be so glad to move into my place for this Fall and finally stop living out of a suitcase and have a ward with Home Teachers and Visiting Teachers to call my own.  In the meantime, it's been wonderful to spend so much time with my bro and new sis-in-law, work on a phonology project with my MA colleagues and professors, and catch up with so many close friends.