‘Good to be home': Back on Earth, Suni Williams talks space, Sox and sandwiches

For the first time since spending nine months in space, astronaut Sunita Williams, a native of Needham, Massachusetts, is speaking publicly about her experience.

Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore gave a press conference at Johnson Space Center in Houston Monday.

Afterward, NBC10 Boston's Jeff Saperstone sat down with Williams for a one-on-one interview.

"It's good to be home, but I can't wait to get up to New England, can't wait to go to a Red Sox game," she said.

As Williams settles back to life on Earth, she says the Sox are something she missed in space.

"I actually had everyone up on the space station singing 'Sweet Caroline' one evening when we were doing karaoke," she said.

There's something else she's looking forward to when she gets back to the Boston area: Marshmallow Fluff.

"On my previous missions, I got Fluff up there," she said. "This one was supposed to be short, so I didn't make any arrangements to have Fluff, and I was a little bit sad about that."

She explained that she had no idea when she went up for what was supposed to be an eight-day mission that it would end up garnering so much interest.

"Wasn't thinking about, like, all of the people who getting involved that would be like, 'Come home!'" she said. "That's really humbling.

We asked her if she ever felt stuck during her time in space.

"From my perspective, I never felt stuck. We always had a way home. Maybe it wasn't the best way to get home, right? But we always had a way to come back to Earth," she said. "I never felt like I was really put out or I was stuck or any problems like that."

While at the International Space Station, Williams conducted two space walks and dozens of experiments. She also spoke with students back at Sunita L. Williams Elementary School, named for her in Needham.

"I think I was very lucky to grow up there, just to understand that there's a gazillion opportunities out there, and this one sort of fell in my lap," she said.

She's now hoping to pass on those opportunities on to a younger generation of scientists. She says there are lessons that can be learned from her extended mission.

"It's all about having the situation, understanding that 'Hey, maybe it's not the way we wanted it,' but pivoting and just going with what you got and making the best of it," Williams explained.

Since returning to Earth in mid-March, Williams has spent time getting acclimated back to gravity.

"You get off the plane or whatever, and you can't even, like, raise your head for the first hour," she said. "So my neck muscles, for the first day, were super sore as they were getting re-engaged."

But she ran three miles Sunday, and maybe — just maybe — a bit more soon.

"I know the marathon is coming up in Boston this next month, I wish I could be up there and do it, but I think I might have to wait a year," she said. "We'll see. No promises."

Williams was similarly noncommittal to the idea of returning to space, but she said she was open to it.

"I would go for sure if they said, 'Hey, you're the only one for it,' but I have a feeling that's not quite the answer right now," she said. "I'd go again for sure. It's an amazing place, but I'd like to see our new guys take on the challenges and answer new questions."