September 2, 2002

It’s Labor Day here in America. We’re coming up on nearly three months of being back home in America. The transition hasn’t been as difficult as we anticipated. In fact, it’s been pretty darn smooth. That might be part of the advantages of going as a couple; we always have each other to talk about our experiences.

Things have sunk into us from our Peace Corps experience, which we’re now beginning to notice. Kate keeps saying how, at her new job, she feels more confident (she is teaching immigrant children) and capable. (I’ll let her write about that more, if she wants.) But I know what she means. We have a new way of perceiving our situation and ourselves. After all, we spent two years constantly adjusting to another culture. If we can do that what can’t we do?

I’ve found myself craving an afternoon espresso – something I never thought that I’d crave before. I’m also really enjoying the place we’re living in now. Granted, we are enjoying the benefits of having family and friends nearby, but I don’t have to drive anywhere, if I don’t want. The grocery store, library, my school, my work, the post office, a few coffee shops, even a movie theater are all within walking distance. My desire to drive is incredibly lower. The American auto lifestyle as compared with our Bulgarian non-auto lifestyle, which we were forced into (now to my delight) because we weren’t allowed to drive in PC, is astronomically expensive and wasteful. We do have a nice, reliable, used car and I still like driving distances when the traffic is light, but heavy traffic seems to be more hassle than it’s worth. There’s more of a connection that I feel with the neighborhood that we live in now. I’m also finding myself asking the question even more than when we left: Why do we need that? Why take on a high stress job, which requires a long commute, allows one to buy more things and then worry about them, and then feel stuck at the job in order to keep up the lifestyle one has become accustomed to? I’ve also found myself hunting out international news. It’s become more of a responsibility than a novelty.

It’s good to be back in the heartland of America again. Many of the cornfields have been harvested but there are still plenty, which are high. We’ve gotten used to seeing movies without subtitles again. People hold the door for each other here. Sometimes people give up their place in line. Strangers say hello to us from down the sidewalk. And the locusts are almost deafening at this time of summer. It’s beautiful to take an evening walk through it.

Peace –

Josh