Not much has happened since I last posted - except- David meeting with a former US Secretary of the Interior, selling everything in our entire house in Peru, saying goodbye to our friends/the students/our house keeper, traveling for 27 hours to get from Pucallpa to Hendersonville, NC, a funtastic week at a camp for David's family reunion, 4 great days with my family, an overnight with David's brothers family, a long drive to Richmond, the successful start to Ruby's kindergarten and the kindness of many, many family, friends and neighbors.
In fact, I've officially renamed us the The Spongebury's, feeling more than a little self-conscious about it. But I figure we can return the favors in due time. We officially move back in our house in 2 days but it has been a long 3 weeks with 6 moves and a mountain of stuff. It is amazing how much stuff you can have for a family of four living in polar opposite climates. But even more surprising is how much that stuff can tether your mind as it dangles around homeless and untethered.
I write, and will likely continue to, because as we re-immerse in the land of Uncle Sam - a lot more impressions come to mind of how the trip impacted us. As soon as we get back settled in our own house I'll be working up some posts on : The most common questions I have gotten since our return, the realization that many people i know have no idea what it means to live in a poor neighborhood, some parenting lessons from the Peruvians, and just how difficult it is to explain the experience.
The thing I miss most is working on my Spanish - it is almost too easy (dare i say boring) to speak in your native tongue. I do have people I can continue to work on it with but it is so much more interesting/challenging to be forced to. Exhausting sometimes too but as you make progress, it can be very satisfying.
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| Ruby got a guitar from her grandparents and loves it |
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| walking on my parents rarely frozen pond |
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| david and leigh |
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| snow sculptures of santa, an elf and mrs. claus |
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| grandma, abby, papa |
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| sledding in North Carolina |
