One of our New Year´s resolutions is to be sure that this blog is updated fairly regularly over the next 3 months, so here it goes!
It´s been a fairly busy week for both Jess and I. She´s working on her partnership project, which we´ve written about a few times on this blog. Things are really coming together and I think she´s going to have a very functional, professional-looking final product. I finally put my calculus class from last semester to bed. I needed to college credit as a prerequisite for the graduate program I am starting in the fall, so I tried online classes from RVCC (New Jersey) in the Fall. For the most part the coursework was very straightforward and easy to follow online. I did run into some problems at testing time, because both professors wanted the exams to be monitored by a university. That took a bit of coordination, but, as of yesterday, it went off without a hitch.
We´ve also been spending a lot of time looking for jobs we´d be interested in and we´ve even started sending in applications as of a couple of weeks ago. I actually got a bite, believe it or not. I had a phone interview and everything, but in the end they decided to go with someone else. It was good to find some interest, though.
I think over the rest of our posts you´ll find that we´re focusing more on getting home and starting back up in the US of A. It´s interesting, because we still have more than two months in Nicaragua, but it seems like all conversations, not only with Americans but also with Nicaraguan friends, always focus on our trip home. Clearly, there´s planning that needs to be done and all that, but I for one feel a little guilty about it. It´s pretty much 100% certain we´ll never find ourselves living in a Spanish speaking country again, let alone a third world country, but it´s tough to keep focused on the day to day.
I think one of the reasons why is because Nicaragua feels so normal to us. Standing on a bus for 2 hours pressed between 30 other people is easy. Cold showers are a daily occurrence. Even speaking Spanish 8 – 12 hours a day is second nature. When we got back to Nicaragua from our vacation over Christmas we fell right back into our routines without any of the grumbles or gripes we had upon returning from our trip in June.
The interesting part is that our time home over Christmas also felt everyday and regular as well. To drive your own car, to eat out, to wear winter clothes was a part of our entire lives before Nicaragua, so it wasn´t too surprising to fall right back into it. I have to admit, I was still completely blown away by Wegman´s Marketplace and I hope I will be every time I go for the rest of my life. All those cheeses!
I think that when we get back we´ll be able to find a happy medium between the comforts of life pre/post Nicaragua and the simplicity of Peace Corps life. Hopefully that means a better appreciation of things that are in short supply in Nicaragua. Just to name a few: family, stable government, seasons, safe food, general prosperity. I think we´ll also work to maintain the discipline we´ve developed here around household chores, exercise, sleep, and inexpensive healthy cooking.
I, for one, am looking forward to the next step. Wherever and whatever is will be the closest Jess and I have come to permanency since college. After HWS we felt like we were always skipping between internships, schools, jobs, and answers to that all important question, “So what do you do?”
So, without getting too philosophical, we hope that this blog will allow all the readers left to see into our lives and thoughts as we transition out of Nicaragua and into the wilderness of the US…
Here are a few pictures to be sure this blog stays interesting:
Here´s the cat reading E.O. Wilson´s Consilience. Go figure.
Go Hobart!
The latest puppies from Astro´s old family. They are 50 days old. This one is Benji.
This is Astrito, or Little Astro.
Astro meeting the mini Astros.
Astro practicing for his trip home.
Yoda bothering Astro while he´s locked up.
3 comments:
Phew! You are bringing Astro home w/ you...I wondered about that. What about Yoda? Will he be adventuring to the US as well?
Whatever your future holds for you it will always be an adventure but as long as you have each other it'll be home.
Matt, much as I love reading your blog, and I haven't had the savings to make arrangements to visit you in Nicaragua, it will be nice to have you back in the states! I also applaud you for your use of the LEGO terminology..it's dead on perfect! I hope she liked the LEGO set!
Matt, your blog is awesome, and I love reading about your adventures. I am excited to hear that Astro will come to the US. Will Yoda come with you guys too?
Anyway, great blog, great pictures and awesome dog.
-Jack
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