It's "only the beginning", if you want to get sappy about it.

My Peace Corps service has officially ended and I am safely on American soil. Because of increased harassment, PC decided it would be best if I left a few weeks earlier than my previous ending date in early November. It was a precautionary measure, and absolutely for the best. I had been staying in the capital my last 10 days in the country, and when I went back to my town to pack up my life, I realized I’d forgotten my keys in the hotel. Drr. Luckily I was able to get the outside gate key from my landlady to get into my patio. Then I got one of the neighborhood boys to break into my house. With a hammer. It’s kind of odd to actually watch someone so deliberately deface your property, but it was super helpful. So I packed up my things, gave a bunch of stuff away to local students, and stopped by my school to say goodbye. That was just the most awful part of the day. Nay, of my entire service. The kids all looked surprised, but they understood a lot of foreigners were fleeing just before the election (to take place the first week in November). I got a lot of good last hugs from them, but many of them were surprised and timid to get emotional in front of the class. That didn’t hold me back. I ugly cried most of the time. And a couple of the kids cried along with me. That look of those sad little Nica faces hugging me will forever be burned in my memory. I made the goodbye quick because I didn’t want to draw it out, and continued on to another students house (who boxes in his front yard with a home made punching bag, and runs 5 miles a day!) to drop off tennis shoes for him. These are a real treasure down there. Athletic shoes are seldom sold, and are only found in the capital for some big $$. He was so happy, and as we turned the car around, him and his little sisters ran after us, waving us down, like there was some catastrophe. We stopped the car, and he gave me his digits. Real cute.

After completing all my medical exams and exit interviews I got my plane ticket, and took an early morning cab ride to the airport. It was all so anticlimactic. The driver asked me if I wanted to sit up front ( I always get made fun of for riding next to the driver, even if I’m alone), so I decided to play it cool and ride in back like you’re “supposed” to. Then I realized he asked me where I was going to sit because his giant machete was taking up the front seat. A real protector and chivalrous gentleman, that one. When I got to the airport, I made the rounds, filled out my paperwork, and that was it. It was a long day of waiting in MIA, with my plane getting delayed because of bad weather (and the fire alarm going off), and I just wanted to ‘time machine’ forward and get home! My good friend Jenn, who came to visit me in Nicaragua my first year, was at the airport to take me in her private vehicle with air conditioning and seatbelts and hubcaps and power windows to my parent’s house. To make matters awkward, my parents weren’t home. Neither was the dog. My parents were out of town for a wedding, and the dog was at the kennel. Breaking into my parents house made everything feel even more unreal, but also a little easier. The situation of coming home after so long, after experiencing so much, good and bad, was so overwhelming. But to come home the way I did felt like I was baby stepping back into things. I’ve since negotiated and bought my own car, and started functioning like a normal person here. I’m remembering all the cultural norms: you can’t touch strangers when you talk to them, you must wear a seatbelt, there are laws that you have to follow otherwise you face actual consequences, making eye contact is considered polite, just because someone’s white doesn’t mean you know them, and so, so many more.

For now, I’m readjusting and looking forward to the holidays. I’m beginning to send out resumes, and looking into going back to school. I’m excited to put on my big girl pants, and take all the skills and attributes I’ve gained over the past 2 years and apply them in positive ways. I’d like to make a difference in our country, and hopefully open people’s eyes to the realities of the world. We should all be pulling together to create solutions to our nation’s current situation, instead of whining about it (while holding $4 cups of Starbucks coffee).

I will forever carry with me the bizarre 2 years spent with my wonderful students, townspeople, and co-workers, including my 2 great PC friends, Carla and Jocelyn. We lived in separate parts of the country, but we were in the experience together. They were my confidantes, friends, vacation buddies, and my American breaths of fresh air when all you want to do is quote American comedies and share coveted jars of peanut butter.

Thanks to everyone who donated to my projects, supported me, prayed for me, sent me good vibes, etc. It was meaningful to me to know that there were so many people behind me, whether we talked frequently or not, who supported the work that I and so many other people have/are/will do out there in this big, big world.