SO:
I've been back in america for a week now, and I want to say that's definitely enough time for me to have readjusted. I mean, everyone has their own readjustment period, but I don't really see myself taking any longer to get used to america.
Another child star has gone bat shit insane (ref: Miley Cyrus).
Old white guys still think they know more about girl bodies and than girls do.
California's always got a fire going somewhere. Right now, it's crazy and up in Yosemite.
Fashion is freaky. It's always been freaky. But at the moment, it's exceptionally freaky for dudes. Why are dudes wearing such freaky things? I don't know. It's a thing. But, like twerking, it's pretty dumb and I just have to wait it out.
Is there anything else? I spent 2 years in Peru and coming back to America wasn't that big a deal. I mean, I've heard of RPCVs coming back to discover people now have these new fangled things called cellphones. Like, that would be straight up cray. But I got myself a smart phone. It sucks and I accidentally deleted all my email contacts cause I freaked out by my phone syncing everything without asking me if it was ok. I've decided that there is no such thing as smart phones. There are phones, that make me feel dumb. That doesn't make them smart.
Still, I basically got a hang of that more or less and am really enjoying the swype function. It's fun and fast and everytime I do something weird, I wonder if the function will figure it out. It's surprising when it does, frustrating when it doesn't.
I thought, maybe I'll really miss Peru. But so far? Nothing. I mean, I miss my friends and speaking spanish all the time, of course, but I'm reconnecting with friends here and speaking korean all over the place. I'm debating on what Peruvian dish I should make here to share with my family... but nothing really jumps at me- I just don't really miss anything yet. Maybe it's cause it's only been a week? Part of me feels like I'm on vacation, that any second now I have to go back and get back to work, but another part of me knows for a fact that peace corps life is over and it's time for me to get back into the thick of things.
I've started running again, in preparation for a full marathon sometime next year. I've restarted Insanity cause I never actually finished the program in Peru and part of me is tired of being so unhealthy. My eating is slowly, but surely, calming down. I've had a lot of food that I miss (In n' Out? check. Kimchi? check... slowly but surely, going through the list!) although I can assure that it's not nearly close to being finished, but I don't have those crazed cravings I would have in Peru. I think just knowing that I could have it whenever I feel like it is enough.
What else? I guess the big thing is finding a job. You hear about how awful the economy is, and it's enough to make you consider a 3rd year in the hopes that unemployment rates take another leap down (not because people have given up and are no longer on unemployment, but because people are actually working now). Still, I'm pretty hopeful and ready to start working in a few more weeks.
Basically, I feel like I had an amazing 2 years getting to know a country and myself, and being home just reminds me that I want to keep going with that momentum. I haven't had much of a reverse culture shock, but then again- I never really had much of a culture shock when I got to Peru.
Part of me wonders if I'm dead inside.
But I just really hope that's not true... And really hope that the feelings of hope are actually hope and not simply indifference to it all.
In any case, I'm back in america and 1 week in- I got nothing. Kind of like my trip to Puerto Maldonado. I tried a cup or two of ayahuasca (a hallucinogenic traditional drug used to induce dream states and visions)... all I did was vomit it up, which is totally normal. But I got nothing! Just wasted some cash and was bored/sleepy for a few hours. What a let down. Oh, but my trip to Machu Picchu and Puerto Maldonado as an end and goodbye to my querida Peru were absolutely amazing. Machu Picchu was the first time I traveled by myself and I met some wonderful people on that trip. Plus, you have got to see M.Picchu. So crazy beautiful and mind blowingly built... like, woah. And a trip to P. Maldonado is definitely worth it. Straight up jungle, I went to the reserve on a day hike and saw a gajillion birds and creatures- and even endangered giant sea otter!! Plus night time cayman watching was a blast.
What an amazing trip. Hoping that America's got some stuff to dish up in comparison but right now, just chilling and eating my way through everything is kind of amazeballs.
Basically, everything is awesome and I highly encourage you to call me on my new stupid smart phone and say hi. Next weekend, I'm going up to San Francisco cause my lil brosef has his white coat ceremony. So proud.
Sincerely,
Sue
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