im back

Back in the SP (south pacific in case you needed a little help). Pretty useless right now after that wonderful red eye with a baby doing an imitation of a dying dinosaur next to me for the entire 10 hours. The ipod picked a wonderful time to stop working too. Eh, what can you do? Just did a little shopping and planning to go hide in my village for a little while, not quite sure how I am going to get everything out there since "budget cuts" won't allow peace corps to actually use the 45 cars we have parked in the driveway at our office. Wow, apparently when i am tired i am bitter. Anywho, for those of you who I saw in the US of A it was wonderful to see you and I had a fantastical time, for everyone else I will be back in 6 months, call my secretary, we'll do lunch.

The American Adventure

Did you know that in America there are no cats and the streets are filled with cheese?  True story.  I made it back to the US for the first time in a year and a half.  I can't believe I haven't set foot on American soil in a year and a half!  That is a long time.  It also is a long time to be on an airplane to get here.  I left Samoa at midnight on Monday/Tuesday the 28th/29th night in April and arrived in LA 10 hours later at 215pm Pacific time.  I then had a 9 hour layover.  I would say the bulk of my culture shock occured at this time.  I was planning on meeting my friend Louis who is getting his masters out in LA instead of sitting around the airport waiting for my flight.  Louis was running a little late picking me because apparently they have this thing called traffic in LA.  It was fine because there was a Starbucks 3 feet outside of customs.  Welcome to America.  There was also a little store where I could by my favorite magazine, flavored water, and swedish fish.  All in one place!  And I didn't have to walk 10 miles and sweat off 15 lbs!  Who knew life could be so easy?  

  At any rate, I sat down to enjoy my American luxuries when a nice little family that lets just call the "Fats" sat down next to me to enjoy their "reduced fat" steak and mayo sandwiches from Subway.  I was so intrigued by the fact that I could understand what they were saying that I couldnt help but eavesdrop.  I shortly after wished I could not understand what they were saying.  Now I cannot recall exactly what the conversation was about but I remember wanting to laugh, scream and cry all at once.  Something about needing more money for a gym membership so she could lose weight when she goes to visit her friend in London....

It was good to see Louis and his girlfriend Leah.  We went to a nice Mexican restaurant and then sat in traffic for old times sake.  I got on a plane Tuesday night and woke up in Chicago Wednesday April 30th.  Oddly enough Dad was there.  He had a meeting in chicago so he met me in the airport and treated me to a 530am breakfast.  All I can say about the buffet breakfast at the Hilton after a year and a half of coconuts and taro is OMG!!  

After breakfast I got on yet another plane to Madison, WI where my little sister and her good friend Jenn were waiting for me.  SOOO good to see them!  My first night in Madison I went out to sushi with Mary, Jenn, a few of their friends and Kyla (for more details see Kyla's blog in side bar).  Raw fish and good friends..oh and sake make a very nice combination.  

That weekend was MIFFLIN which Mary and I have been counting down to since...pretty much our whole lives I would say.  Mifflin is actually the name of a street where a lot of college kids get really drunk once a year and most of them end up in jail.  what fun?!  But for us it meant a rugby game.  The rugby game was actually suppose to be the UW team versus alum, but since I don't remember most of college I think it is fair enough that I be allowed to play for the UW alum, right?  So I did.  Turns out we played on a field that was down the hill from the town dump and oh yeah..it was raining.  Nothing like rolling around in fresh sewage to cure a hangover.  I have many a picture, as of now they are in an album on my facebook page, but I will work on getting them up on the old blog.  

Some more good camp friends came up for the weekend and my friend Jesse even ended up siring the game.  Good times.  After the game we got social...which....well...you know...

Last Monday I flew out to VA to really come back to my roots.  I thought it would be weird coming back home, but you just kinda get right back in the swing of things.  I went to work with Dad last Thurs and Fri which was amazing.  Apparently he is a big deal, who knew?  I even got to see someone's brain!  Surgery is neat.

Last weekend I went up to NOVA (for those that don't get east coast slang that is NOthern VirginiA, god we are cool down south).  I saw my two best friends from college which was just wonderful and at the same time a bit shameful.  One is engaged and one is living with a boyfriend and just got a dog.  I play in oceans...whatever.  

This week Im trying to finish up all my c'ville stuff, such as looking for jobs and filling out applications because that is all very hard to do in Samoa, what with the pen shortage...I am flying back to Madison early thursday morning and little sister Mary graduates from college this weekend!!  Can you believe it?  I think she is really still 8 and just put a dead snake on my phone, precious.

Well, that pretty much sums up the American adventure thus far.  I will be going back to Samoa on Tuesday May 27th for another 6 months of "duty" (I met a guy in DC last week who was just back from Iraq and told him that I was also in the "service" decided not to go too much into details with that one).  Anywho, great to be back in the US of A!