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I am sitting here, candles lit in one of the many blackouts that we have been having, just thinking about how much my life has and hasn’t changed since I became a real person after closing of service with Peace Corps 7 months ago.

For starters I have moved into a big spacious apartment with a new roomate and two cats. Did I mention that I now live in a house that is bright lime green? It’s true. The landlord’s wife apparenlty really loves green, she even recently painted the inside of her house a lighter less blinding hue. Even our quintal, a room in the house that is outside but inside, is this green but the plants love it and it sort of grows on you I must admit.

The little monsters I live with are Henri and Joanna, one found in a plastic bag the other in the fish market. I found the best way to entertain them for hours and hours is to attach a string to a chair. 6 months and the string is still strong but keeps them going. I am not really sure what they are hoping to acheive my chasing after it but I’m not going to question a good thing.

Having the chance to go back home last September was so great. When we were ``COS`-`ing Peace Corps told us to be careful going home and that things would be so different and it would be hard to adjust. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that I knew I was coming back, but I found being home a great experience and it didn’t scare me. Of course going to the supermarket took hours, with all the choices it was incredible. It was also kind of like a scavener hunt, finding all of these new foods and new flavors. That scavenger hunt also involved some taste testing and I came back a good 10 pounds heavier (not including the 50 pounds of luggage). Seeing my family and friends was great and it helped reasure me that I was doing the right thing. Although of course everyone missed me, with email and facebook I feel like I know everything that has been going on there and they know all about my life. While some friends are married, others having kids, some changing jobs, some still unemployed, I feel that I haven’t missed as much as I imagined I would. Living abroad gives you a very different perspective on life and I think that this experience has a better person, made me more patient and more understanding. Making the decision to stay wasn’t easy I went back and forth a whole lot. But in retrospect I am so happy with my choice. Life is different than it was before. I am 110% more busy at work but I also feel like I am learning a lot and really gaining new skills. In addition I am taking classes online to get an MS in Buisness Management. While moments like this, where I sit in the dark and yell obesenities about the electric company make me wonder what am I doing here, I also remember the great memories I am making here, the nice friends I have and the beautiful and kind people of this country that I have fallen head over heels for.