The Trash Queen Returneth

By this time on Monday I will be enjoying some yummie Thai food after having taken an obscenely long, hot shower....at least, that is the plan as of right now.  My bags are packed, I've checked almost everything off my "things to do before leaving" list.  So now all that is left to do is enjoy this beautiful day & evening ahead of me.  In the immediate forecast is spending some quality time with some of my favorite people: Genevieve, Norm & Bryan.  I'm hoping to convince them that while delighting in the Shepard's Pie, which Genevieve is preparing as I type, we should spend a little time playing cards or dominoes & have a few drinks while the stars turn on one by one.

Lovelies growing right out of our tire retaining wall!

Of course there are many things that I am looking forward to about going home...I mean, living here is a lot like being on an extended camping trip...so there is the list of obvious perks: seeing my family & friends, hot showers, driving, sleeping in a comfy bed, internet that doesn't move at a snail's pace, variety of food not attainable in our little west highland community, etc.  I think it is safe to say that many of you reading this blog will be asked to accompany me to some of my favorite food establishments; bear with me ;)

I have been fortunate in my time so far to have had the means & the freedom to venture out of my own surroundings & comfort zone to have a peek at life in different communities.  It is something that I am so incredibly grateful for & something that I wholeheartedly recommend to just about anyone who will listen.  "Do it!  You won't regret it!"  These are phrases I often employ when making my case for travel.  Now, after having been abroad for six months I have even more fodder for not only encouraging travel, but encouraging long term travel, abroad.  It is impossible to put a fine point on the experience...because there are so many elements involved with investing that amount of time away from all that is familiar.

~Just your average Friday night experimentation~

I realize that everyone has challenges when it comes to dreams of traveling....family, work, the house, money, missing birthdays, holidays, big events.  It is true.  At times there are choices that have to be made that include missing the wedding of two dear friends, celebrating a big holiday away, or not being a part of the family reunion, & that can be difficult.  Having said that...it also opens up the possibility of having other opportunities that inevitably become smile-inducing memories & stories of the longest earthquake you've ever been subject to or being one of a handful of people in costume at a Halloween party in a country that doesn't celebrate Halloween!
 
I imagine that my return to the States will be much like returns from other adventures in my past...I will enjoy the warm welcome immensely...I will bathe in the conveniences of life in the industrialized world...literally...and I will be surprised at the amount of time I spend (or don't spend) doing everyday tasks.  I am also preparing for the ever present illuminations about my place in the global community that come with traveling to place where resources are not readily available to the community.  I imagine that the most poignant observation that will wash over me once I return will be the amount of waste production that I personally am responsible for. 

Stuffed trash bottles bricks used in Aula 0.

Life here in Comalapa means constantly being mindful of the amount of trash you produce & figuring out what the hell to do with it...which, I can assure you, alters the way you move through your day.  Long Way Home builds using trash and living that truth for the last six months has given me the opportunity to evaluate the part I play in the production of garbage.  It is not something I ever spent to much time thinking about living in the States.  In truth, beyond taking my own grocery bags to the store, recycling, and refusing plastic bags upon the purchase of one or two items, I never really gave much thought to the amount of trash I added to a landfill each year.  I never took the time to consider/research how much money is spent lobbying AGAINST recycling & composting programs...and in case you are wondering, it is shameful. 

In the words of one of my favorite professors, Rick H., who skillfully guided me & fellow classmates through the delicate topic of Human Rights, "What you do with this information is up to you...but you can no longer say that you didn't know."  Those words are resonating within me as I prepare to head home....not sure exactly how I am going to utilize this new insight...but I think I'll start by taking my own to go containers to all the amazing restaurants I will be visiting shortly instead of taking home the Styrofoam ones the restaurants offer....yup, I'm just that wacky...but then again, I'm sure this comes as no surprise...hope my dining mates don't embarrass easily!