Happy Anniversary!

So much has happened since my last blog entry, I hardly know where to start! So, first I want to wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day, and also wish myself and my fellow Hondu12 group a Happy Anniversary (We've officially been here 1 year, WOW!). Its amazing how time is flying by down here, it feels like only yesterday I was boarding that plane in Kalamazoo at 4:30am to meet the people I would be spending the next two years with... And let me say, that after a year of being here, no matter how hard it was to say goodbye to everyone and wave to my parents as I walked through the security line, joining Peace Corps is still one of the best decisions I have ever made. Life here is a bizarrely satisfying blend of complete frustration and unabounded happiness, and I love it.
I recently discovered a new zest for Peace Corps life after I made my first trip back to the good old USA. It was a super exciting, fast paced trip to Washington DC to watch as our 44th president took his (albeit misspoken) oath of office. The entire trip was amazing, and totally overwhelming.
I was lucky enough to recieve a ticket to the inauguration from Rep. Fred Upton, which was truly amazing, and very much appreciated. I got to attend a little reception the day before the inauguration to pick up my ticket and found that all the great food and drink was nothing compaired to the support I got from that room full of complete strangers. Everyone was incredibly kind and supportive of me being in the Peace Corps, a number of people came up to me to tell me how much they appreciated what I was doing here in Honduras, and it was a really great feeling. I can't really explain how helpful it is to know that even strangers appreciate what we do as PC volunteers. It is something that I definitely brought back with me.
The day of the inauguration was amazing. It was freezing cold, we got lost a number of times on our way to the mall, we almost didn't get let in, and the crowds were unreal....but it was the most incredible experience. I can't believe how lucky I was to get to experience the entire thing first hand. I cheered, jumped up and down, cried and clapped with a million other people while President Obama took his oath, and spoke to us about the future of our country. There was so much hope in that moment, I will never forget it.
The few remaining days I had in DC after the inauguration were filled with me running around town, trying to take everything in and attempting to catch up with friends and family who were also in town. Amongst the crowds, food and traffic...I realized how much of an outsider I feel like in the hustle and bustle of US life. I would go into a restaurant ready to devour a large animal...and would completely lose my appetite in the rush of ordering. My goodness we move fast! Here, I'm lucky if the food comes out even made the way I asked...let alone in a timely fashion. I, literally, backed into a corner at Cosi because the woman behind the counter was scolding me for not ordering faster...There were just so many choices! Ay dios mio. I also got yelled at by a flight attendent on our way in to DC because I put a can in the trash instead of recyclying bag. It was completely disconcerting, I consider myself a concerned citizen...I dont want to add to the global warming crisis....but I hadn't seen a recycling bin in a year! And since when is it ok for the flight attendents to scold people? I felt like a reprimanded kid, and it was not a feeling that I enjoyed.
Let's just say that it is a very humbling experience to feel like you don't belong in the place you have lived your entire life. I spend everyday in Honduras sticking out like a sore thumb, I complain about many things here....but I didn't realize how much I had adjusted to life here until I tried to fit in back home. It was such a relief for me to get off the plane in San Pedro Sula, I know how things work here.... and as I stood in the customs line for 20 minutes with Sarah and Matt, waiting for the agent to stop talking on her cell phone with her friend so she would help us, all I could think was "ah, its good to be home".