The Quest for a Giant Juicy Peach

Since first beginning my travels overseas 5 years ago, this has been my first summer back in America. I've enjoyed much about it (can we say AMEN to air conditioning everywhere). However one thing I've longed for and missed are the fresh fruits and vegetables. Especially the fruit.

Overseas I would anticipate the first sighting of summer fruit. Watermelons, peaches, cherries, strawberries, apricots, and more. I loved waiting through the initial batches that would appear on market stands. Oh it was tempting to give in and buy the first decent batch of strawberries I saw, but I knew that if I waited, sweeter rewards would be found and they would be well worth the lower price. Then there would be the sampling of different vendors to see who had the best fruit.

Victory was sweet when I would make the delightful discovery of THE best peach of the season. After one taste my taste buds would burst with flavor, my teeth would sink into the perfect texture, and I couldn't stop (nor would I want to) the juice as it would run down my cheeks.

This year I made the mistake of anticipating summer with the same fervor.

I stalked weekly ads to see who had fruit on sale, looking for THAT taste.

No luck.

Then I thought that maybe the fruit was not on sale. So I gulped, dug deep and even purchased items not on sale.

Still no luck.

Then I stepped it up and moved from the discount grocery stores to the fancy schmancy ones, even tried the organic stuff. I found some slightly better fruit, even scored a home run with the watermelons, but still no peach that made the mark. I even had a friend willingly share with me her stash of prime peaches from a state well known for their crop. It was definitely better than what I'd had, but the taste I was missing eluded me.

I finally realized that I wasn't wanting just the taste of a wonderful peach, but I was really wanting to once again taste a memory. The memory of exploring the outdoor markets. The memory of gazing out my window at the sea and mountains. The memory of my overseas home. But I had to realize just like when I returned "home" to America and found that the place in my memory no longer existed, so I have to see that my overseas "home" no longer exists. Oh yes the apartment is still there and I can bet the outdoor market is too, but the space in time I occupied is no longer there. New tenants have likely taken residence. Names and faces in the neighborhood have changed.

So I find myself once again straddling between two worlds. I can't go back to what was, and I'm still struggling to fully live in what is. I've had some recent hope lately about a career and calling, but things never happen as quickly as I'd like them to. So I'm waiting and hoping and anticipating what is to come, while still just trying to live one day at a time. It's not easy, but I know that I'm not walking this road alone.

I can't continue to search for the perfect peach. It doesn't exist, not here anyway. That place in time is long gone. But you know, I had a peach this morning that wasn't too bad. I bet if I cut it up with the right ingredients it would make a delightful peach crisp. I might even have a glass of lemonade to go with it!