The Transition Back -- Solicitous Women in Amsterdam, Overwhelmed by Options, Uncomfortable in Shorts

at the airport - my stuff cleared to go
waiting in the lobby
time to go, can't pay the fee, they let me go and take the extra weight
patted down in a curtained room before entry
sitting by jonathan - dude i met at the carpet shop
arrival in istanbul
comfort of the call to prayer, the women still mostly covered
istanbul seems so advanced, so well manicured and wealthy
overwhelmed at the grand bazaar
then to amsterdam, turn left at centraal instead of right, shocked by the women in the windows
back in boston, still weirded out, see images of iraq on the news and feel homesick for afghanistan
home and needing face wash -- overwhelmed in the grocery store
aversion to having so much choice -- shouldn't we choose not to have so many choices?

gardens with white rocks and thoughts of mines
star flight helicopters and black hawks in pursuit
starting to adjust to seeing people dressed in so little but i still uncomfortable in shorts.