culture shock, back in dc

i moved back to dc a month and a half ago. during the first few weeks, a few friends asked if i had experienced culture shock. “nah, i really only experienced that when i came back for my first visit.” not so fast…

it took me a while to realize i was having a hard time adjusting to life in dc. the three main differences:

• 1. the concept of time
  familiar with the idea of operating on island time? that’s how most of the country in guatemala rolls, and i was happy to begin to follow. dc is about as opposite as possible.
• 2. cost of living
  my favorite meal: in guatemala: $2, dc: $9
  haircut at my cornershop barber: $1.35/$10
  shave at cornershop barber: $0.75/$5
  bag full of farmer’s market produce: $2/$10
  monthly rent, with utilities: $107/$715
  four hour bus ride (my city to the big city): $8/$20
• 3. overstimulation
  in guatemala i was living in a city, which mostly felt like the “developed world,” but it was surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. and i could hike or hop on a bus to some natural wonders in less than an hour. dc is more developed, more advertising, technology, cars, people, parties, etc.

the silver lining…

1. my internal clock is better than before. i still get caught up in the go-go-go society, but not like before.

2. i can now earn money. i earned a tiny amount in guatemala, as a dj and a teacher, but it’s officially illegal for foreigners to earn money there. there simply aren’t enough jobs for the people of guatemala. i look forward to saving money towards buying another condo/house or traveling or something.

3. i missed the diverse opportunities of entertainment that dc has to offer and i missed my records and record stores. more than anything, i missed my community of friends and family. i developed a great community of friends in guatemala, but dc is home. and i’m happy to be back.

one fast month

my time back in dc went by a bit faster than i would’ve liked, but i definitely enjoyed it. i had real good visits with family and friends, which is what i was looking forward to most.

the first couple days were actually in ny and a cool intro back to the u.s. ~going from one of the smaller cities of the world to one of the biggest was wild, but my “culture shock” mostly came from understanding what almost everyone around me was saying. i have a lot of time most days to be almost alone in my thoughts.

fortunately, i was with good friends (one in town from india) and able to rest, relax and enjoy good food, art, etc.

i kicked off my dc visit with semi-hibernation at my sister and brother-in-law’s house. i then house-sat for their friends/neighbors who just happen to own a “zero-gravity” chair (wow).

i went out for ethiopian food (my favorite!) five times at three different restaurants, ate amazing home-cooked meals that my sister and a few friends made, dined at some great restaurants including three of my favorites – vegetate, asylum and sticky fingers and i ate pho (vietnamese soup) for the first time.

i turned 34, celebrated my sister’s birthday two weeks later, went bowling twice, worked six days for aahsa (my former employer) and took one spanish lesson from a friend.

saw a couple movies (i highly recommend charlie wilson’s war), went to some parties, hung out with my kitties, packed and moved my stuff into storage and then re-packed ~thanks to the snow, but i was happy to see snow twice.

i also dj-d at eighteenth st. lounge, science club and cornelia and matt’s house. i greatly enjoyed spinning with sean and moose of funkdc, naka, freefall, busca and steve L. i digitized many hours worth of vinyl and cds and bought a cd dj console that i will take with me, so i am now more excited about dj-ing in guatemala.

phew, wish i had more time but am looking forward to slowing down again and focusing on yoga, learning spanish and surfing. a friend and i are planning to head for the beach on monday. another interesting transition… snow today, hot beach two days later.

many, many thanks to everyone who helped make this trip wonderful! especially people that housed me, threw a party for me, fed me, visited me… and in any way made my time home something i wish lasted longer.

much love, i will miss you!

t-minus 23 hours

wow. i stopped working a month ago and i barely feel ready to leave. my flight leaves at 7am tomorrow.

between all the errands, address changes, getting a business license to rent my apartment in dc, shopping for the trip, discarding many of my material possessions, doctor appointments and vaccinations, tying up loose ends, etc. i haven’t had as much time as i wanted to enjoy dc and see friends and family. …good thing i’ll be back in december!

i actually created a list of things to do, if anyone decides to go on a gap year and would like to see it, let me know.

many thanks to all that helped me get ready for this trip, gave me a place to stay, a hug, message, card, gift, advice or came to see me at a going-away gathering. thanks also to the funkdc crew, the science club and everyone that came out for a great party a couple weeks ago.

i will greatly miss you all!

two weeks ’til walkabout

after years of thinking about it and a few months of planning, i am getting ready to embark on some proper travels.

first up is an immersion school in guatemala, where i will receive up to two months of one-on-one lessons in spanish, live with a guatemalan family and hopefully hang with a friend or two that’s planning to visit.

in october, i’ll meet up with a friend in costa rica for some surfing.  after that, it’s up in the air until coming back in december for the holidays.

my goals for the trip:

• heal my wrists (i have carpal tunnel syndrome)
• learn life lessons (and work on traits that contributed to stress and depression)
• experience other cultures/places (i’ve only lived in dc and maryland)
• do yoga and surf

my flight leaves on aug. 11.