Home for the holidays

Happy 2014! A new year brings a new round of blogging. These writings have been on hiatus the past few weeks, because I've been on a mini-hiatus from Peace Corps life. My holiday trip to America was both wonderful and strange. Wonderful: hugs and time with long-missed loved ones; being home to enjoy the Christmas season; catching up with friends and the amazing things they're doing; loooong daily hot showers; walking around barefoot in a clean and carpeted house; salmon-sushi-crumpets-pho-mushrooms-etc.; picking up the phone to easily communicate with whoever I wanted; running in the park without anyone staring at me; and so much more. Strange: being unable to remember not to kiss everyone on the cheek in greeting; inhabiting houses and stores that are always brightly lit, perfectly painted, and clean; having to worry about getting places on time and rushing out the door; everyone constantly connecting to smartphones - especially the habit of checking the weather each day; an ATM asking me if I wanted a receipt emailed to me; very wide city roads built for cars instead of people; and the idea of trying to explain the sheer comfort and wealth of my stateside life to my host family and friends in Peru.

Family

Friends

Christmas ships

Annnd a Macklemore concert

I think I was home for the perfect amount of time: long enough to not feel rushed, but short enough to stay within the "honeymoon" phase of culture shock and not have to really deal with fully adjusting back to life in the States. Since I was only there for a couple weeks, things like the reliance on cars or having to be punctual remained interesting novelties, and didn't have time to start really wearing on me. It was still hard to leave home again, where everything is so easy and comfortable, but the six months I have left in Peace Corps seems like nothing compared to the 18 months I've already completed - this is the home stretch. And I think having a little taste of America will help me better appreciate my last months in Peru, because I've been reminded of what I'll miss when I have to leave Cajabamba for good. For now, it's carnaval and summer camp season, so I've got to get settled back in and hit the ground running!