Goodbye America

We’ve had a really rich and full vacation and are now packing our bags and heading back to Africa to complete our second year as Peace Corps volunteers. With all the grocery shopping for non-perishable goodies and the care packages entrusted to us by the new Tete volunteers’ American families, our bags are just as packed going home as coming here. Even though we were technically on vacation, we still made 13 picture-packed presentations to classrooms here in California, and gave 2 school assemblies about our experiences in Africa. We really enjoyed reacquainting ourselves with how different the high school experience is in America when compared to our situation in Mozambique, but at the same time realizing how similar teenagers can be despite the radically different circumstances in which they exist. We still had plenty of time to enjoy our families and friends, squeezing in a trip up north to San Francisco to see people up there (and a girl weekend for Janet at Luc’s brother’s cabin near Yosemite), driving the Big Sur coastline on our way were we saw some giant elephant seals and touring the superlatively over-the-top Hearst Castle. With so many visits, we averaged about 5 meals a day, and with so many cookies, cakes, chocolates, and candies we knew we wouldn’t be sampling for at least another 11 months, we each gained 10+ pounds. Our friends back in Africa will be pleased with that since they continuously remind us about our need to fatten up. It shouldn’t take too long to shed the excess love handles we acquired in the land of excess once we return to our Spartan leaf diet. Overall reverse culture shock wasn’t too extreme, Luc was generally a little more overwhelmed than Janet, but we both agree that our mid-year trip to South Africa was more intense than this vacation in America. Despite all the amazing eats, visiting museums and botanical gardens, hiking in the mountains to play in the snow, watching movies, and opening Christmas presents, spending time with our families and friends was the best part about being home; especially our little 22 month old nephew. He’ll be so big and talking so much next time we see him! The last few days have been extra hectic, staying out on the street until midnight, ringing in 2011 while guarding our spot for Pasadena's traditional New year's Rose Parade. We are excited about returning to Africa, but going back to work is never quite as exciting as traveling to vacation.