“It is a strange thing to come home. While yet on the journey, you cannot at all realize how strange it will be.”

While in Santa Cruz for the best/hardest day of my life, I was able to stay with Dr. Carmiña's family in their lovely home. I am expecting some reverse culture shock when I get back to the States but I wasn't expecting it to occur before I touched down in the good ol' USA. I'll be honest, it made me nervous.

My first clue that I may not be prepared to re-enter my old life (ten days from now!) was when Dr. Carmiña asked me to please fasten my seat belt when I got into her car. Whoops. I've only worn a seat belt twice in the last three months -and both times were in a airplane, not in a car. I wouldn't have even done it then if the flight attendant hadn't blasted it over the intercom. The vehicles that I ride in regularly don't even have seat belts.

Dr. Carmiña then apologized that the air-conditioning wasn't working very well. I almost laughed out loud because I was thinking about how I'd forgotten that cars even have air-conditioning and what a glorious invention it is. Seriously folks, there is cold air that blows and it keeps you refreshed even when it's freaking hot outside. How wonderful is that?

When I entered la doctora's home, I was only more impressed. "There's a flat screen TV and a computer with internet and leather couches and HOLY SMOKES, is that microwave? This house is amazing! This house is like...my parents' house...and...it's like MY house." It was such a weird moment. Seriously, I was genuinely excited to use a microwave. A microwave. Who knows what my reaction will be to other household appliances...like a TOASTER :)
                                                                     
I recently read article on how to give your fridge a makeover. I was thinking it would be about how to keep your fridge clean but nope, it was actually about how to keep your fridge pretty, literally pretty. Things like use labeled french canning jars to store leftovers in, buy products with pretty packaging, wrap cheese and meat in butcher paper and tie with twine, put a vase of flowers in the fridge...have I just been in South America too long or is this ridiculous? If people's priorities are to put petunias in their fridges, not sure that this is the culture with which I want to identify.

Plus, there are mangoes here.