It took exactly eleven days in the alternate universe known as the USA before I found myself rushing to the nearest Starbucks, wanting to feel a little closer to home. However this time I was hoping that the familiar surroundings would remind me of times in Peru, instead of the other way around. So far, it’s not working. Partially, this is due to the view from the window. Oklahoma has spent the last couple days reminding me just what rain and storms really are. Everything outside is dripping , and as a result everything is a vibrant green and the flowers are all abloom. As a desert resident, I can’t help but glance at it in wonder and maybe a little confusion from time to time. Then there is the fact that, as a general rule, Americans really are a lot louder than the other cultures I’ve encountered. People here are always talking and talking, or at least that is how it seems to me, but I could be wrong. Peruvians may have talked just as much, but since it was in Spanish it was easier to tune it out. Now, all the words that gush from everyone as they move around me invades my mind while I sit there, longing for the quiet of Peru. But to some extent, it really had to have been quieter there. After all, I did live out in the middle of a small town, and small towns are notorious for their quiet.
Plus, in Peru, I never really felt the urgent need to be somewhere RIGHT NOW. I mean, time was flexible there, and arriving on time meant showing up at some point that day. But here, even if we are just going to go get a cup of coffee and wander around town, there is this sense that it must be done NOW, like we have to hurry or we might miss something vital. And really, there is no difference between getting it done quickly and doing it an hour later. But we are so used to not having any time and having to squeeze too many things into one day that even our relaxed moments are rushed. And everything must be done together. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am all for being social and hanging out with people and doing things with friends, but I’m so used to doing things on my own. Everyone had their own schedule and their own routine and while it was pleasant when the schedules did intersect, it was equally pleasant when they didn’t and I spent the day doing my own thing.
On a side note, this could be why I get so frantic when someone tells me to get married. The idea of someone always being around is slightly appalling to me. Well, actually, more than slightly, but I’m trying to soften it, since as a 26-year-old woman I know it is something that I am supposed to be looking for. But seriously people, the sky won’t shatter and fall on our heads if I don’t take that route. So while I know that many people consider it my logical next move to find a husband and settle down (as many people have either hinted at or outright told me), let’s just all calm down a little and shift our focus to other things, hmmmmm? Okay, that being said, let’s move on.
Having located my local Starbucks haven, I’ll start working on the stories from the little travel time I had between Peace Corps and coming home. I hope everyone really did enjoy my emails, because it looks like they won’t be stopping anytime soon.
It took exactly eleven days in the alternate universe known as the USA before I found myself rushing to the nearest Starbucks, wanting to feel a little closer to home. However this time I was hoping that the familiar surroundings would remind me of times in Peru, instead of the other way around. So far, it’s not working. Partially, this is due to the view from the window. Oklahoma has spent the last couple days reminding me just what rain and storms really are. Everything outside is dripping , and as a result everything is a vibrant green and the flowers are all abloom. As a desert resident, I can’t help but glance at it in wonder and maybe a little confusion from time to time. Then there is the fact that, as a general rule, Americans really are a lot louder than the other cultures I’ve encountered. People here are always talking and talking, or at least that is how it seems to me, but I could be wrong. Peruvians may have talked just as much, but since it was in Spanish it was easier to tune it out. Now, all the words that gush from everyone as they move around me invade my mind while I sit there, longing for the quiet of Peru. But to some extent, it really had to have been quieter there. After all, I did live out in the middle of a small town, and small towns are notorious for their quiet.
Plus, in Peru, I never really felt the urgent need to be somewhere RIGHT NOW. I mean, time was flexible there, and arriving on time meant showing up at some point that day. But here, even if we are just going to go get a cup of coffee and wander around town, there is this sense that it must be done NOW, like we have to hurry or we might miss something vital. And really, there is no difference between getting it done quickly and doing it an hour later, but we are so used to not having any time and having to squeeze too many things into one day that even our relaxed moments are rushed. And everything must be done together. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am all for being social and hanging out with people and doing things with friends, but I’m so used to doing things on my own. Everyone had their own schedule and their own routine and while it was pleasant when the schedules did intersect, it was equally pleasant when they didn’t and I spent the day doing my own thing.
On a side note, this could be why I get so frantic when someone tells me to get married. The idea of someone always being around is slightly appalling to me. Well, actually, more than slightly, but I’m trying to soften it, since as a 26-year-old woman I know it is something that I am supposed to be looking for. But seriously people, the sky won’t shatter and fall on our heads if I don’t take that route. So while I know that many people consider it my logical next move to find a husband and settle down (as many people have either hinted at or outright told me), let’s just all calm down a little and shift our focus to other things, hmmmmm? Okay, that being said, let’s move on.
Having located my local Starbucks haven, I’ll start working on the stories from the little travel time I had between Peace Corps and coming home. I hope everyone really did enjoy my tales, because it looks like they won’t be stopping anytime soon.
