Five days in the States

After 21 hours in airports, on tarmacs, and scrunched up in window seats, Im back in Santa Cruz after returning to Ohio for about 5 days. I feel so fortunate to have been able to return to the US for family business, to reconnect with cousins and uncles, and to even go apple picking with the progeny of my sister. Every conversation, were it with strangers or my mom, seemed to go something like this- "Hi how are you?" "What are you doing in Bolivia" followed by "Must be wierd to be here when you are used to fighting of jarara and wild jackelopes in Bolivia." To be honest though, it really wasnt that wierd. I feel as though Ive lived here long enough now to just accept that life is different in different places. Some folks have more types of luxury shampoo for sale and more coffee shops. Other folks have more types of potato for sale. Some folks spend their time watching tv, while others spend it drinking yerba mate. Granted, I did have to stop myself from blurting out Gracias and Desculpe, and it felt strange to walk at night without fear of snakes, but aside from this the transition felt...easy. This may be just because I knew it was a temporary change, but really. Easy.

The only thing that really did shock me during my visit was this overwhelming sense of responsability of being a US citizen. There is just so much are our disposal as residents of the US- the airport alone has hundreds of books and magazines for learning, theres internet everywhere, theres just so much to be DONE, it seemed to me. When Im in Chimeo the things that need to be done are limited to Chimeo itself- maybe visit a beekeeper, maybe read with some kids, maybe start a garden. Not to mention the social norms- I felt this pressure to start blowdrying my hair and donning makeup and toenail polish that I had forgotten about for all of 2007 (not that I was ever really good about that stuff before Bolivia, but still.) In the end, it was really good to get back, see my family, and be there for my grandparents ceremonies. Nonetheless, I know that Im far from done with Bolivia. Im ready to get back to my sweaty days of bee stings and mariwie bites in Chimeo.