I must admit, I was more than a little nervous about coming home.  Although it wasn’t so much the arriving part as it was the nineteen hours of travel part.  After having been a stranger to the US for almost a year, the airport was kind of a crash course on the American culture.  Those of you who have spent a significant amount of time outside the US probably already know what I am talking about, but for those of you who haven’t, let me explain. 
 
Even without ever leaving the airport, you can learn a lot about a country’s culture.  When I checked into my flight in Lima, my luggage was 3 kilos over the limit (but hey, considering I was packing 2 years into 2 bags, I didn’t feel like that was too bad).  However, with only minimal effort on my part, the rules were bent and I didn’t have to pay extra.  That, my friends, is Peru.  Nothing is set, whether we are talking traffic rules, prices, or even laws.  However, on every other plane that I tried to board, I found myself scrambling to comply with some new rule that they had come up with while I was on my way there.  I went from being allowed three carry on bags to two, and then back to three on a later flight when one of the bags was too big and they had me take stuff out of it (which happened to be the things I had stuffed in there to make two bags).  Standing in line is also something that Americans take very seriously, and I found myself fighting the urge to slip to the front like I would in Peru, where everyone pretends they can’t see all the people waiting. 
 
And then there is the difference in prices, which is jaw-dropping.  On one flight, the only food available you had to pay for.  The lady next to me didn’t speak English, and because of a three-hour stop in immigration she hadn’t had time to buy anything for lunch.  When I told her the prices, she was shocked.  When I then explained that they didn’t accept cash, only credit cards, she thought I was lying.  Most places in Peru don’t take cards; almost everything is done in cash, so she thought that bringing $20 along would keep her well fed until she landed.  In fact, $20 would keep you fed and buy you a hotel room in Peru, but on a flight from Miami, it gets you nothing.  Not even a pair of headphones to watch the inflight movie ($2, cards only).  Land of the free started sounding very ironic right at that moment.
 
But when I finally landed late that night, I was more than happy to embrace my family and my culture.  Instead of a Peruvian taxi trying to overcharge me, my parents’ car was waiting.  Instead of a crazy traffic and horrible roads, I was able to relax on a smooth ride home, not once wondering if I was about to be involved in a head on collision.  I poured myself a glass of water, throwing in some ice with a huge smile.  And then… I did a practice leap into every bed in the house, before settling with a contented sigh on my parents’ couch, something I have yearned for many, many times. 
 
More thoughts on my first days in the US will follow, but for now, it’s good to be back.  I’ve missed it.