Well, I have a few more blog posts about our furlough time - but I wanted to post this one while it was still fresh. You know you're back in Bolivia when -
1) Your life flashes before your eyes 3 times on the way to the hotel in the taxi.
2) Your 3 year old asks you where the seatbelts are in the taxi.
3) It takes you 3 days to take out and change money.
4) You arrive home to a gas shortage (meaning the gas cans we use for our stove, hot water heater, heaters, and dryer are not readily available).
5) The power goes out twice for long periods of time the first week you are home due to high winds. Which, by the way, means no power for our water pump and therefore no water!
6) You get your water flitration system tested before using your water again.
7) You can't go to church on Sunday due to an obligatory voting day to see if Bolivians want to kick their president out. On voting days in Bolivia, it's illegal to drive - I think it must be to help cut down on the possibility of protests and rioting. By the way - the president stays. Read the Forbess blog for more detailed information.
8) You eat fresh papaya and pineapple for breakfast the first day back.
9) You are seriously depressed when you get back into the car to drive for the first time.
10) Your children entertain themselves wonderfully (allowing you time to unpack) the first few days by reaquainting themselves with every toy in the toy box.
11) Your children all have runny noses due to the change in climate - from warm and humid to dry and cold.
12) Your grass is nearly dead from the lack of rain.
13) You keep forgetting not to flush the toilet paper down the toilet (sorry, this may be too much information for you, but here in Bolivia toilet paper is thrown in the trash can - otherwise the toilets clog up.)
14) You are met by your wonderful teammates at the airport.
15) You come home to a very clean house because someone's been taking care of it the whole summer.
**One lesson I've learned from my global wandering - culture shock never ends! It's always there no matter if your coming or going - staying a few months or a few years.
3 comments:
I enjoyed reading this and getting a peak into what makes you tick. It is so true what you say about culture shock.
I love the seatbelt comment - proof that we can learn new habits if we practice them :)
Glad you are back safe and sound. I'm sure another 3 years will pass before we can believe it and we'll be visiting at Livonia again. Love, Cindy
Julie -- Your culture shock comment is so right on. It never really goes away, although it does get less intense as the years go by. Love you -- Laura
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