Jet Lag Lag

(I have surprised many of my former high school classmates by using my BA to teach English abroad. Many of them have found this exciting and interesting, often asking me questions whenever they catch me online. One former classmate starts asking me about time differences.)

Friend: “Hey, I just realized. Though it’s [afternoon time] here, you’re in a different timezone, aren’t you?”

Me: “Yes.”

Friend: “What time is it for you?”

Me: “Well, there’s a 12-hour time difference in our time zones, so it’s the middle of the night.”

Friend: “Wow, it’s the middle of the night?! Why aren’t you sleeping? Aren’t you tired?”

Me: “I’ve always been a night person. Even in high school, it was hard for me to sleep at night and easy to sleep during the day. I guess my biology is just backwards.”

Friend: “Or you could be experiencing jet lag. I’ve heard of it. It’s a condition where your body has trouble adjusting to a different time zone.”

Me: “Not everything can be blamed on me being abroad. As I just told you, I’ve always had this problem, even before I ever left the state. It’s not jet lag; it’s just the way I am. Besides, I think you’re forgetting that I’ve been abroad for two years now.”

Friend: “Two years? Wow! I didn’t realize jet lag could last so long!”