it's interesting that while even traveling all over a foreign country i've still accrued a strange new collection of routines and mannerisms. upon returning to portland i've been perplexed and surprised by the extent to which my travels have affected my daily life. to be honest it's been a fun reminder of my adventure, which already seems very far off now that i've jumped back on my bicycle and started attending all the fun activities and gatherings that are constantly stacking up each week in this absurdly busy city.
here is a list of a few of the adjustments i've made upon my return:
1. drinking tap water! i found myself heading to the bottled water section of the grocery store on a few different shopping trips before remembering portland has a glorious water treatment program that eliminates all those nasty water bugs in lots of central american water. the act of turning on the tap and sipping water directly blew my mind this first week home!
2. eating fresh produce! veggies just aren't that big a deal in costa rica or nicaragua. rice and beans, yes. leafy things, no. shopping the safeway produce section left me a bit weak in the knees, and i checked out with a basket full of veggie and fruit exclusively. so tasty!
3. for the first few days i came frighteningly close to throwing toilet paper in the trash, rather than the toilet. in both costa rica and nicaragua the plumbing is so poor there are signs directing you to toss your soiled toilet paper in the trash to avoid clogging the plumbing. yes, this does mean that every toilet you enter smells like shit. you get used to it. it almost feels more natural, the place where everyone poops should smell like poop, not roses, that's confusing!
4. riding my bicycle. i forgot how much coasting feels like flying! i spent a lot of quality time with my jeunet riding with no distinct destination, just riding to feel the wind rush through my curls. oh wow, there's a pretty gross cliche, but it's true!
5. quiet bus rides (with AC!). where's the man screaming the buses final destination? where are the women selling tacos and soda? where are the street kids peddling cigarettes? why am i not sweaty and cramped? why is this road paved? where is the sheer imposing cliff on our right? this is all wrong...
6. spending lots of money again. this is the worst. realizing that i can no longer purchase a huge tasty meal for dinner at a sit-down restaurant for $2.50. damn it.
7. sleeping on a queen sized mattress. heaven. it's more than 2.5 inches thick, it doesn't have pokey bars jabbing me, it smells nice, it has a memory foam pillow (!), and i know whose slept in it before me. yeah.
that's it for now. more to come as my culture shock is fully articulated.
i miss you all!
