Back in the U.S. of A.

I recently got back from a week-long stint in the United States. I went back to my Alma matter for a large crew race, the Head of the Fish. Many alumni return for the event and thus I was able to see friends who have graduated, current friends at Skidmore, and other faculty/staff at Skidmore. It was a little bit of a shock on the system seeing as it was my first time back in 16 months, but it was a nice break from minor cultural differences that were wearing on me and it was a great opportunity to reflect on my experience. And catching up with people who I have dearly missed was fantastic and gave me steam to keep going in this experience.

There were several things that caught me off guard from the moment I set foot in the United States. The first...talking to strangers in English. My thoughts, "English? Really? You speak English? Wow...I haven't talked to a stranger in English in a long time." And the first few hours especially I had a hard time recalling various English vocabulary and ended up saying the word in Spanish. After some confusion, I was able to come up with something close enough. The second...technology. I know technology changes fast and I haven't been gone that long, but I was still blown away with all of the new cell phones. I don't think I saw one phone without some huge flat touch screen and full keyboard on which you can watch movies, take photos, listen to your whole music library...all at once. That was weird. And third...where's the trash can for the toilet paper? After 16 months of a weak plumbing system I have gotten accustomed to the task of throwing away used toilet paper in a trash can. I forgot that in the States you don't have to do that and did it accidentally on a few occasions.

On a deeper level, one of the most profound differences of being in the United States was the sense of anonymity. I stick out in El Salvador. Yes, there are some paler-skinned people in El Salvador, but because of my hair, eyes, the way I dress, walk, and conduct myself, I stick out. It's inevitable. And because I stick out I am a constant source of attention - wherever I go I have people staring at me or coming up and talking to me. When I am exhausted on a bus just wanting a little bit of quiet time or busy trying to get stuff done it can be quite obnoxious, but sometimes it is nice because I can talk about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. Plus, it can be a cool way to get to know about people here. In Saratoga Springs, New York I do not stick out. I look just like one of the upper-middle class college students and no one noticed when I walked by. I had no one coming up to me asking me what I was doing there and why I wasn't in El Salvador or what line of work I was doing. It was nice in some respect, but simultaneously a little bit of a slap in the face. "Why don't you care that I'm a Peace Corps volunteer in a third world country? Don't you want to know why I haven't been here in 16 months?"

I had the chance to talk to a few interested students in the Peace Corps and just in catching up with friends I reflected a lot on my experience. And I realized that I had a hard time coming up with negative aspects of my experience. Sometimes the language is hard, cultural issues can be frustrating, and boredom and inefficiency can be aggravating. But overall, I realized that while I might not love what I'm doing, I'm doing some good stuff and I feel appreciated and respected by my community. They are supportive as are people at home. It isn't an easy experience, but overall I think it has been positive. As I mentioned, this trip was a great break from cultural nuances getting to me, but I thought that when I reflected on the experience I would be more pessimistic and recount a lot of the difficulties that have been presented. I seemed to give a more positive review than I was expecting. It was a nice surprise.

There were plenty of other differences I noticed about being in the United States. It was COLD. And I rediscovered how incredible hot showers and baths are. It was nice to be able to walk many places without a half-hour hike first. I didn't go through two shirts in one day due to sweating. I had conversations with people about things other than the weather, gossip, or corn and beans. Exercising isn't bizarre...it is a part of a normal, healthy life. I didn't have to double guard all of my food from the hungry cockroaches, rats, or maggots. I was able to eat Indian, Italian, American, Organic, Raw, Vegan, Mexican, and Japanese food. What a blessing. I wasn't woken up by roosters. I could use a credit card. I was disappointed not to greet everyone when passing with a smile or "hello" or "have a good day." I used a dryer. I could drink tap water. And the list goes on...but it is very different and not necessarily better. El Salvador is much more tranquil and there are plenty of nice things about being here. But a break was nice.

Now I'm adjusted to being back for a few weeks before Christmas at home. It is cold here too (60 degrees F at night...with no insulation it gets pretty cold). I'm working on getting the stove project really rolling. My youth group finished their most recent community project and we will be starting to build benches for the soccer field starting today. The kids are off for the summer break as of now and so I'm hoping to come up with something productive to do with them for a few weeks so they don't die of boredom and can maybe learn something. Send me your ideas! Life's back to as normal as it can get in the Peace Corps. Happy November!