Monster Dust Bunnies

During January through the end of March, our school was on vacation.  Everyone went off to travel the world until April.  Unfortunately, when we returned two months later, at 5:00 AM, tired from 18 hours in airports and planes, and desperately trying to readjust ourselves to the humidity, this is what we found:

The long absence had given our house time to fill up with the air pollution we normally sweep up once a week.  These photos don't do it justice.  Our bedroom and bathroom were covered with black dust and soot bunnies.  All of our dishes had to be rewashed.  The floors and countertops were swept, mopped, and swept again and again until, after five tries, our feet and hands stopped looking like this:

We were officially back, my boyfriend, me, and over a million other people and their cars.  I couldn't help but wonder if their boogers were as black as mine the next morning.