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I'm back in the States! It was a crazy, crazy journey home. Bolivia did her best to try to keep me there as my flight was delayed by about six hours, meaning I needed to spend the night in Houston. I ended up doing the mad dash through the airport to catch my connecting flight to Texas in Miami, instantly regretting packing all of my books in my carry-on bag (seriously, who does that?). I did enjoy a beautiful vanilla latte in a Starbucks Christmas cup though so the airports weren't all bad news. And my family and the boy were there to meet me in Sea Tac for a real good welcome home.

And then I froze to death :)

The transition back to the States has been pretty easy but it definitely feels a little weird to be back. Bolivia wasn't just a trip, it was a life and that life is over now. I miss it. When people ask how Bolivia was, it's really hard to answer because I feel like I'm trying to summerize a lifetime and that is difficult. I always just say "wonderful." But if I could say a second word, I would also say hard. Bolivia was wonderful and hard. God was so good and carried me through all of it.

This is probably my last blog post. But I wanted to thank you guys for reading and making me feel like what I was experiencing was worth reading about. So Gracias :)

And Chao for now!

Stream of Conciousness.

...aka I can't focus so this post is all over the place.

Anyone know of a way to arrive without leaving? That's my dream right now, to arrive in Washington without leaving Bolivia. The places I love are too far apart! Either that or let's find a way to make airfare cheaper. Heck, let's dream big and just go for teleporting. Perfect.

Today, I got asked where the soda is at the grocery store. I could have kissed the woman because that's pretty much assuming I'm a local, right? "Towards the back, on the right" I said with a grin. Happy dance. It's a long way from "She's not from here, is she?"

I got to visit my family in Santa Cruz again this weekend. I just love Dr.Carmiña, Dr. Boni, and little Martina. Have you ever experienced a gift that you know you didn't deserve? That's what this family has been. "When are you getting married?" they ask. "We will come to Washington for that." And they are serious. "Come on vacation with us! Come back with your children someday. Eat more yuca. You know this is your house whenever you need it. Are you happy?" Yes, I am so happy.  The love just keeps on coming with these wonderful, lovely people. (I feel like I should clarify that wedding bells and babies are not in my immediate life plans, Bolivians are just...forward thinkers?) 

For some reason "Paradise" by Coldplay is my blog/Bolivia experience soundtrack. If one song can be considered a soundtrack.(Listen here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G4isv_Fylg&ob=av2e  ...I don't know what the elephant has to do with the song but the cinematography is gorgeous). This could para-para-paradise.

I burned my leg on the exhaust pipe of a moto yesterday. Such a gringa move. A nice blistering second degree burn, right next to my scar from being thrown into the rocks of Lake Padden last summer. At first I was bummed that my leg is going to have yet another scar but now I can just tell people, "Oh yeah, that's from when I was in Bolivia..." Some people get tattoos to commemorate life-changing experiences. I brand myself. 


Guaranteed the lady in the grocery store would not have asked me for directions had she seen that happen!

“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.