America the Beautiful

As most of you know, I just had a wonderful vacation in the US.  :)  To sum it up:

• Slept on a bench in Heathrow
• Bachelorette weekend in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
• Wine, cheese, & chocolate
• Purchased a Kindle
• Massage & pedicure
• Scott & Kailey’s wedding!
• Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Lattes
• Family visits with EVERYONE  :)
• Haircut
• Shopping spree at Trader Joe’s
• Caramel apples
• Lunch with friends (homemade pesto pasta and leafy green salad!)
• A weekend in Denver with Brian, Ashley, Ainsley, and Roen
• Lots of eating out!

The culture shock was not nearly as bad as I had anticipated – I was so ready to come back and indulge in the luxuries of modern living (i.e. washing machines, high-speed internet, refrigerated food, etc.).  ;)  It was the fast pace of American life that was the hardest to adjust to.  (I’m used to sitting around and watching movies for the majority of the day.)

Going back and forth between countries made me realize how my lifestyle is changing and how I’m merging Ugandan and American habits.  When I move back (to the US), of course I’ll have running water, but I'm much more aware of water conservation now and can really limit the usage.  And I will always be grateful for clean water that comes right out of the tap.  I tend to eat healthier in Uganda - everything is freshly grown!  Sure it’s a pain to wash and bleach everything, but it’s healthy and organic.  When I went grocery shopping (in Chicago), I noticed how many aisles were full of processed food, and how easy it is just to throw a frozen dinner in the microwave, instead of cooking fresh meals.  But I was inspired by my friends who have started cooking their meals from scratch and juicing fresh fruits.  ;)  (I can’t wait to come back and cook with modern appliances!)  And with the abundance of fruits and vegetables in an American supermarket, the vegetarian recipes are endless.  :)  The biggest challenge is my addiction to the white stuff - refined white sugar is the devil.  My sweet tooth had diminished while I was in Uganda, but came back with vengeance in the states.  How could I not indulge in cookies and cakes while visiting??  Upon my return to Uganda, my body will certainly start to detox again.

Some of you may remember that six months before I joined the Peace Corps, my car died.  So I commuted around Denver on my bike and on the buses/trains.  And of course, living in Uganda, I'm on my bike and ride the buses/taxis.  So it is possible to live without a car in both cultures (as long as you're near public transportation).  While I was home, Mom let me drive her car a few times (yes, I remembered how to drive), and I felt the sweet freedom the car ownership can provide.  Sure you have to deal with traffic, gas prices, and general maintenance issues, but sometimes walking 1/2 a mile and waiting for the bus is just too much of pain . . . especially if it's raining.  Plus, I miss cranking up the music and singing in the car.  :)  (This realization came while I was belting out Bob Seger's “Turn the Page.”)  Which leads me to another point: entertainment.  Between online movies/TV shows and internet news updates, there is no need for TV or cable . . . even in the US.  (Ok, sports fans may disagree here.)  In Uganda, it helps that the PCVs are constantly trading hard drives and getting new movies and TV shows, so there's always something to watch.  And now I just got a Kindle and a huge library of digital books from the PCVs' hard drives.  Seriously, who needs TV?

A few other traits that I’ve picked up from my Peace Corps experience: 

I’m very cheap now.  A bag of purple grapes cost $7.21!!!  Grapes are no longer in my budget.

I’m dirty.  It’s not socially acceptable in the US to wear the same outfit 4 days in a row.

I may be slightly lactose intolerant now.  Or maybe I just overdosed cheese while in America.

Now it's time to return to Uganda.  I will write again soon with updates about my house, work, and PO Box.  ;)