Home Sweet Home

Over 2 years in Peace Corps - Senegal and I'm home. I've received questions like "How was it?", "Are you glad you did it?" and "Are you happy to be home?" like 100 times. Although it is hard to sum it up, overall, it was "Great", "Yes", and "Yes, like you wouldn't believe!"

The last week and a half has been crazy. I came in on a Wednesday and was greeted by my mom, dad, brother, grandma, boyfriend, and 3 family friends at the airport. We went home and had the best deli sandwiches and awaited 2 more friends who stopped by to visit. That evening, we got sushi from Nakashima's first and then had tacos for dinner. Food is soo good here!

Thursday and Friday I spend all day pampering myself. I got an 1 hour 1/2 long massage, manicure and a hair cut/color. Mom also ran me around Neenah fast enough to overwhelm me. Now, let's not blame her, but I can tell you the adjustment has been more or less what I expected. I am used to moving at African speed. Mom can get from one side of the Valley to the other in just 15 minutes! That's usually how long it took me to walk 1 block because of all the greeting! I went into one store with her and while she was busy going around the whole place picking up what she needed, I stared at one wall and answered the cashier's questions. I eventually sat down to wait for mom to finish. After we got back in the car I told Mom, slow down! Besides that, another time I got so stressed out I just started crying. I guess the errands, and doctors and dentist appointments just the best of me. I'm just going to take some time getting back into the swing of things.

After about a week, I was busy in the car buying search. I test drove a few different cars and small suv's and finally decided on an 04 Subaru Outback. I also have started the job search. I think that crying fit had something to do with my thoughts following my first interview. I don't think I'm ready for a 9-5 at a desk, on the phone. Could you get any more different from daily life in Africa?! But this is all what it takes to be American again, right? My second interview is today, so we'll see how it goes.

I've gone to a wedding and a concert, rollerbladed and played tennis, seen family and friends, drove my new car, gone shopping and done so much that I couldn't have done in Senegal, so really, you would think that I would stop thinking about it as often as I do. It's not that I forget I'm in America. And it's not that I miss Senegal, that much. I just am going through this stage of re-adjustment that we all go through, and I don't really know how to explain it to you.

Anyways, the other big question I have received is "So what are you going to do now?" Well. I don't really have an answer just yet. I want to be in WI through spring 2010. I hope to find temporary, flexible work close to Nick, in West Bend. I want to go to weddings, take road trips and enjoy the seasons. Come spring, Nick and I hope to move out to Colorado. I want to find work with the government in environmental sustainability or renewable energy. But I know that there is a limit to all the planning so I'm up for whatever comes my way!

Thanks for reading my blog all this while! This is my last posting and eventually, when I figure out how I want to scrapbook and bind up my last 2 years, I will remove this website. So enjoy the last album of photos and give me a call anytime - my new number is 920. 213.2800.