Adjusting to life back in the US

Before I left Mexico, Peace Corps staff spent three days talking with us about how to reintegrate into US culture and daily life.  I’ve been back for three weeks, and had my first full on freak out moment in Target this weekend when trying to select a bottle of olive oil.  Do you know how many different brands, types and sizes of olive oil are available at Target?  Way too f'in many.  I had a strong longing for the days of choosing between 2 options, at most, at Pepe's Grocery Store.  After staring at the wall of oil for about 5 minutes with a quickening heart rate and increasingly audible breathing, I finally just grabbed the closest jar of coconut oil and jetted out of there.  

A rare sunny, dry day in my new town.

My brother calls this picture "Midwest Snapshot."  I call it my new neighborhood with nice, wide sidewalks to walk on every day!

In addition to relearning how to deal with a ridiculously unnecessary number of options for olive oil, I've also reacquainted myself with how to use a washing machine, how to drive, how to use the chip reader for my debit card, how to fill out a timesheet, and how to use an oven.  It may sound weird, but as someone who has an unnatural aversion to a smoke alarm going off, I really loved that houses in Mexico lacked that safety feature.  I also found myself thinking that if all the windows and doors in US apartments had bars, I'd feel a lot safer, which was definitely not my design aesthetic pre-Peace Corps. 

In general, it’s been a surprisingly smooth transition back to the working world and US culture.  I think that’s mainly because I’ve been super busy, traveling to four states, sleeping in five homes, staring a new job and working 90 hours during that time.  Based on my experience thus far, being busy has been good for helping to ease the transition and keep any feelings of longing at bay.  I’ve experienced multiple days with highs in the 30s, three days of snow, and several days of pouring rain back in the US, which has been rough after two years of basically 80-degree weather every day.  

Spring making it's way, despite the snow.

One of many places I've walked to. 

I’ve also been adjusting to the fact that everything I need is no longer located a short 10-minute walk away, and that I can’t just hop on a bus that’s available four times a day to get to Puerto Vallarta.  I’m now listed as “Walkabout” in my brother’s phone because I walked 40 minutes from the doctor’s office to his house after my TB test.  Nobody could believe that I would rather make that walk than call someone to pick me up.  Seriously, I cannot stress enough how many conversations were had by my family about how I walked somewhere.  

Here in my new town, I’m dedicated to making it as long as I can without owning a car by utilizing every available transportation option I can find, including:

• Walking 3.5 miles per day to get to/from work,
• Taking the local bus, which has a stop on my street,
• Using Uber for longer-distance/late night/pouring rain trips,
• Signing up for Zipcar, the only car sharing program currently available in town, and
• Buying a new commuter bike which is currently getting geeked out with fenders, a plush saddle and a basket.  I’m super excited to start bike commuting again for the first time since 2004! 

I'll soon be riding along this protected bike path with my new bike!

Art along the main bike path in town. 

The employee at the bike store talked to me for about 30 minutes about local environmental issues, how he read about me in the local paper, and tips for biking in and exploring my new town.  I cannot tell you how many warm and friendly interactions I’ve had like that over the last two weeks, because I’ve had at least one every single day.  When I first arrived in Mexico, I was overwhelmed with the warmth and kindness that greeted me (and sustained me for two years).  I didn’t think that I would encounter that level of hospitality back here in the US, but I was wrong!  Here are just a few examples of the awesome interactions I’ve had in my first two weeks in the Midwest.  

• When I arrived at my Airbnb, the hostess immediately gave me a dinner plate with chicken, couscous, edamame and watermelon. 
• On my second morning, my Airbnb hostess made me pancakes and coffee and offered to throw a community party (taking place next week) for me so I could get to know all the different people and groups working on sustainability. 
• When I found an awesome apartment that wasn’t available to rent until August, the landlord offered me a three-bedroom house at the same price to rent for the summer.  If you want to visit me, this summer would be a prime time! 
• My first day at work, I arrived to find a bouquet of tulips, a welcome sign and the world’s most amazing invertible umbrella ever!  In a sign of pure kismet, I received that umbrella the day after mine was destroyed by a wild array of rain and snow encountered in my first 36 hours in Indiana. 
• After my first community meeting, one of the participants invited me to attend a community volunteer awards program with him and his wife and then gave me a ride home in the pouring rain. 
• When I discovered that the water didn’t get turned on in my new rental house for the weekend, my Airbnb hostess invited me to stay for as long as I needed for free.
• My boss drove me and all my luggage to my new house last weekend, and then he returned with a table and chairs from his house when he realized that I literally was moving into a house with only clothing and decorations from Mexico. 
• New friends have given me tickets to see Salman Rushdie talk, watch movies at the Banff Film Festival, and listen to a panel on technology for social good. 
• I got some awesome love from the family in Arkansas as well: everyone bought me food and drove me around, one family friend gave me money for an “adjustment allowance,” and my cousin Sadie gave me a dish set!   

Getting a warm, midwest welcome!

In addition to this collection of things, I also now have a bed!

My backyard for the summer. 

Sooooo many food options! Although no tasty street tacos :(

There are a lot of things I miss about Mexico, but I’m trying to stay focused on all the great things I have access to now, like showers with instant hot water and strong pressure, the ability to wash my clothes at home - not by hand, the ability to roast vegetables in an oven, the ability to push a button to make my home instantly warmer or cooler, and the freedom to walk inside without shoes on.  I’m also drinking tap water like a total baller and sleeping on a real bed that I am 100% confident will never produce a surprise scorpion or lizard.  I may not get to see all the people I love in Mexico, or wear sandals anymore, but I can eat all the kale and sweet potatoes I want again, and that is worth celebrating!