The title says it all; I am scheduled to return to the States in exactly two weeks. I honestly don't know how I feel about that...before this trip, I had been to two countries (not counting the layovers in Germany): Italy and Belice. Italy was a study abroad trip that was meant to supplement the Italian history class I had taken the previous semester and Belice was a mission trip with a religious student organization called Alpha & Omega. When the trip in Italy was finished, I was exhausted because of the amount of traveling and historical information I was taking in. I was pretty happy to be returning home, though I always miss the grandeur. As for Belice, my friend Glenn and I discovered our plane tickets had been pushed back a day and engine trouble in our plane caused us to be pushed back another day. By the time I returned to the States, I had gone over 48 hours without so much as a bite of food to eat, so I was even happier to be back in the States in the case. But El Salvador is different in that I have been here long enough to get emotionally attached to certain things.
I am curious to discover if I will retain any quirks I have built up in El Salvador that will serve to distinguish me from many of my peers in the States. For instance, I have gotten so used to kissing women on the cheek in greeting, I imagine I will have to train myself out of that behavior. Ladies reading this: I'm sorry in advance. Additionally, Ernesto almost always greets me in extremely enthusiastic English, to which I respond in extremely enthusiastic Spanish. It is just one of many running jokes between us. I might weird a few people out with how happy I appear to see them, not to mention confuse them. There are probably other traits I will exhibit that slip my mind as unimportant right now.
What I will miss the most here are the people. Even though I have only had continuous contact with a few people, it has been incredibly easy to befriend people here, regardless of whether I am speaking English or Spanish. Humans in general get attached to routine; they don't need to be afraid when they are caught up in a cycle of normality. I have grown fond of uprooting myself from my comfort zone, but familiar faces and characters of every day life are a part of that cycle too. It is going to feel very strange not going to the gym here and seeing the workers and a few of the frequent fitness junkies. I have even grown accustomed to random family members coming in and out without so much as a call. Even though I have only seen most of Gerardo's friends a few times, I could see myself being very good friends with most of them with more frequent contact. Mr. Worldwide, Sara, Diana, and Raul are a few. Gerardo's family has a few frequent faces as well that, although I am not especially close with, I enjoy their company nonetheless. His uncle Armando and his grandfather Armando, his cousin Diana and her mother, great-uncle Remberto...family is pretty close-knit here!
Of all the people I will miss here, Connie and Gaby are at the top of the list. Connie and I were friends long before I ever came here; we talked frequently on Facebook and Skype for the first two years I was in college before finally meeting, and I will miss that company, though I know Gerardo feels that weight many times more heavily than I do. As for Gaby, I had only ever talked to her once before coming here, but she quickly became the best thing about El Salvador to me. Even though I'm just a gringo temporarily living in El Salvador, both of their families also accepted me instantly. It's amazing, and somehow, surprising to me since I have known a lot of people in the States that are incredibly weary about people that appear "different."
I think I most look forward to returning to a cycle of normality and routine. Next semester is going to be extremely busy for me, and I am eagerly anticipating every minute. That said, El Salvador has made a strong enough impact on me that I will definitely return in the future, maybe even as early as Christmas break! I am trying not to think that far into the future though; there are still 14 days left to enjoy what I am experiencing here, and I plan to make the most of that time.
One.
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