#52 Visit Stateside

Mom making me feel right at home :)

After 8 months in Nicaragua, I was ready to go back home for a short visit and see some friends and family. This was a wild experience providing some serious introspective moments where I realized how much the Peace Corps had changed me. Prior to the Peace Corps, I'd traveled fairly extensively around the world picking up/understanding a worldly perspective, but never acquiring a true foreign perspective. Living and integrating into the Nicaraguan culture, I could now see the United States from a far more objective viewpoint. In essence, I have been able to separate my culture from my identity. A really bizarre and rare opportunity many will never experience. Thanks Peace Corps!

That is a cute puppy

You can say as many negative things about the USA as you want; politics are a mess, congress is corrupted by big business, family bonds are weakening, commercialism, consumerism, blah blah blah… What many fail to realize is how awesome America is [Insert ‘America f*ck yea’ song here]. No, seriously. As soon as I stepped off the plane in Miami, I was blown away and not just by the gorgeous talent only found in Miami. Everything was so clean, shiny, organized, developed. The second realization was, When did everyone buy an iPhone and iPad? Literally everyone was so concerned with their phones and tablets that I narrowly avoided crashing into a few people who failed to look up from their busy little computers. Coming back home in Connecticut, the traffic ran so smoothly and efficiently on those open paved roads, all the signs were clear and spelled correctly, the diversity and creativity of businesses surprised me, and the prevalence of advanced technology was everywhere.

That is a cute mom

After seeing dirt floor homes, zinc sheets/various sized wood boards for walls/tarps for walls, latrine bathrooms, and insect infestations just to name a few of the living conditions common to Nicaraguan homes, words couldn’t express my delight to be back home. Better said in my friend Julian’s blog after visiting some of his students at their homes, “In some households I simply could not even comprehend how so many people live under one roof, and not to mention the quality of these roofs.” Arriving at 12 Roseview Court, I appreciated the hardwood/carpeted/tiled floors, climate control, hot/cold water, security, lack of bugs everywhere, stocked fridge/pantry… I opened my closet and took a step back as I was blown away by how much clothes were staring me in the face. Why does anyone need this much clothing. Absolutely ridiculous, yet I still had trouble deciding what to wear #firstworldproblems. I could literally go on and on about how lucky I am to have grown up in a country as developed as America and my appreciation of the opportunities just living there has given me but I won’t. Enough.

The trip itself was, although quick, just wonderful. My parents greeted me at baggage claim with hugs and kisses and even a little, recently adopted, puggle named Riley. While Skype has definitely eased the burden of being away from home, there is nothing like hanging out and spending time with people in person. We went home, I enjoyed my first hot shower in months, watched TV on my dad’s new movie theater sized TV, and then went out for a delicious sushi dinner. Getting into bed, my mother had recently put a new dark blanket on my bed and little blanket fibers were on my sheets and it took me a moment to realize that they weren’t little bugs and I wouldn’t be spending the night sleeping with bugs as neighbors.

We left the next morning for Philly to see the majority of my close family. As always, it was great to see everyone and that they are all in good spirits and places in their lives. A friend, Lubin, from UMD studying law in Camden swung by for a visit and filled me in on all I’ve missed in the past few months and loaded up my iTunes with some fresh music.

Back in Connecticut the next day, I went out to another sushi dinner with close friends from high school – Justin, Joe, Chetrit, and Sarah – and got filled in on all their lives. Two of them working with accounting firms solidified my decision for holding off on starting my career for a little while as they explained the tiresome and long hours in their offices. It was also fun (for me) to share the Nicaraguan culture to them and boast about my job. I really enjoyed catching up with all my friends and getting filled in on where the various people in my life currently are and what everyone is doing.

The next day, my parents and I flew down to Turks and Caicos for a bonding, fluffy week in some beachside all-inclusive resort. Every meal was incredibly flavorful and colorful leaving me a good 10 pounds heavier. Scuba diving, sailing, eating, massages, margaritas and dirty monkeys, reading, and poolside lounging entertained me for the week. I enjoyed spending all that time with my parents, having real conversations with them and being adults with each other. Although still, sometimes Dad, you gotta know when the line is being crossed.

    Flying back into Nicaragua I had flashbacks of this same flight 8 months back and how much had happened since then. The heat hit me right away outside the airport and, very strangely, I could actually feel my mind shift into Spanish mode. My work punched me in the face immediately as year-end reports were due that week and, BAM, I’m back into Peace Corps mode just like that.

Poolside chillin'

Getting my Scuba on

These are those 'dirty monkeys' mmm so good

My dad agreed to go sailing with me a second time after I capsized the first day... oops...

One cozy hammock

#51 A $400,000 Grant and un Loco Nuevo Ano

Ben and myself hanging out by the pool overlooking San Juan del Sur

Looks like the group I was working with was able to finish the huge $400,000 grant by its New Year’s deadline and I am very proud of our success. The grant will be used to develop various sustaining economic project in agricultural and tourism sectors, provide money for youth and women’s co-ops, and start a consulting service through the NGO, ultimately providing assistance to close to 8,000 individuals.

I found myself to be an integral part of the team writing of the grant. I was able to help them completely reformat the entire grant in a far clearer, more coherent order, while discarding the unnecessary repetition and fluff they had originally included. In addition, I was able to assist with the budget and Excel section, again clarifying a previously unorganized series of numbers into a compartmentalized and ordered budget.

I am proud at the progress I have made with my Spanish and cultural integration/understanding in the 7 months I’ve been here. There is absolutely no way I could have explained the reasons for the needed changes or understood their original methods just a few months ago.

Julian.

As soon as the grant was sent in, I walked down to the port and made my way to Nicaragua’s backpacker’s center, San Juan del Sur. Meeting up with Julian and Ben a day early, we checked in to the Naked Tiger Hostel, a mansion sitting on the hill overlooking SJdS purchased by an ex-Peace Corps Volunteer. Immediately the fun began and the night continued to the morning. The next day, the three of us passed time relaxing by the pool, soaking up rays, and being children playing in the water.

The New Years Crew

Later that afternoon on the 31^st, the rest of the crew arrived and we checked in to a comfortable apartment closer to downtown SJdS. As always, laughter, ridicule, amusement, and pure fun ensued immediately. I am a fool and thought I had misplaced my camera so I have no pictures from New Year’s Eve but we ended up at a huge beach party with DJs, live music, [efficient] open bars, and we can’t forget about the Russian stripper spy. It's a shame how uninteresting it is to write about such a fun weekend because it's the small things that made this weekend so great, not the big events. 

Nothing to see here. Standard Julian frosting...