Ciao 79

I'm sitting at CMH using the wi-fi on our laptop (reunited at last!) before getting on the plane to head south. We are bringing back a boatload of stuff for our Ecuadorian friends (including many cordless drills for the Waorani women and lots of chocolate...mostly for me). We had to once again get an extra bag to haul all of our loot. Jer found an old ugly one in his parents attic covered in bat guano.

It was a whirlwind trip and we got to see almost everyone we wanted...and for those that we did see, it wasn't enough time. I have to admit, it is hard to say hasta luego to our family again...in some ways it is almost harder because we don't know exactly when we will be home again. When we left for Peace Corps in February, it was easy to say (or sing) "See you in September" because we knew we would be back in a few months...and now we just had to say "see ya...sometime."

I was asked a few times this week if I felt culture shock/re-entry stress upon returning, and I have to admit I really didn't (but maybe I will realize it once I get back to Ecuador). I think maybe Jer did a little bit, but I feel like I adapted pretty well (hot showers, good wine and cheese and lots of home cooked meals and desserts helped quite a bit). I realized that things were more or less like how we left them. The comfortable routines came back like clockwork: like hanging out at the farm, the pond, G-ville and the cabin... like walking into Dick's and being greeting by the regulars...like hanging with the gruver groupies. Ahhh...home! The biggest changes I noticed were in our neices and nephews whose vocabulary and personalities have changed a lot... and they are all growing like weeds (well, all except for Kyra...she is still a pipsqueek). And the fact that there are so many new ones...and many more on the way. The friend/family pregnancy/baby count is now up to 13!!! As I said (after quite a few LaBatts: "that is a lot of new people!"

Well, it is time to start boarding. See you all...sometime.