PTSD? It couldn't be.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is, by definition, an anxiety disorder associated with serious traumatic events and characterized by such symptoms as survivor guilt, reliving the trauma in dreams, numbness and lack of involvement with reality, or recurrent thoughts and images.

Background:
I spent the past 11 months traveling through SE Asia doing anything I wanted and nothing I didn't want to under the glorious rays of the sun and next to sparkling blue oceans . To say I was happy is an understatement. To say I loved it is anti-climactic. To try and describe it is impossible.

I have been back in the U.S. for 11 days. To say I am now suffering from PTSD is accurate. (And on a side note, I am also self-diagnosing hypothermia).

Reasons I believe I may be suffering from PTSD (the traumatic part being that I am back in the U.S.):

Survivor guilt- Okay, this is the only symptom that doesn't apply.  Guilt? Are you kidding me? 
Reliving the trauma in dreams- My dreams are sunshine and sand every night, but 40 degrees when I wake up is extremely traumatic.
Numbness and lack of involvement with reality- I haven't been able to feel my toes in 11 days! How's that for numbness? As for lack of involvement with reality... being stuck in Lynden hasn't done much for me in terms of motivation.  I did see part of Whitney Houston's funeral on EVERY CHANNEL of the television today. FYI folks, the mainstream media's overwhelming focus on celebrity exploits is not reality. Well, not mine anyway.
Recurrent thoughts and images- Beaches, elephants, palm trees, no shoes, motorbikes, bus, boat, train and plane rides. Yeah, I'm having recurrent thoughts and images.

I'll be honest, I don't actually believe that I'm suffering from any mental or anxiety disorder (though Jordan might disagree), but transitioning back from Eastern to Western culture is definitely a new adventure in need of a whole new mid set. One of my favorite things about Asia is that the people are so happy with so little. It was refreshing to live simply.  While I was there I regained my desire to write, which has been a long time coming. So Post Travel Sanity Design, my version of PTSD, is my attempt at dealing with "reality" through writing; an effort to preserve and record. 

More to come soon. :)