Saying "See You Later" to One Home, and Hello to Another
- katlynsaley
- Jun 30, 2017
- 5 min read
After two years on only African soil, all I saw were white people. White people holding cups of Starbucks Coffee in one hand, and an iPhone in the other. An iPhone that is connected to the FREE airport Wifi. An airport that has drinking fountains everywhere, recycling bins and garbage cans that talk to you, and places to eat every 10 meters. I had arrived in Atlanta. I was back in the United States, and only trying to find a Qdoba (the food I'd craved the most over the last two years). There I was, running into people constantly, because they were passing me on a side that I was not used to, just trying to find the huge airport map to see what terminal I needed to be in to reach Qdoba. When I finally arrived and looked up at the menu board there were numbers attached to each item. Not the numbers showing me the crazy amount I was about to spend on one airport meal, but numbers in the thousands. At first I was confused. But then I realized the board was telling me my choice of meal also came with a reminder of the number of calories I would soon be digesting. How lovely....not.
As I sat down to eat my meal at the gate where I would be boarding shortly, I felt overwhelmed. Very overwhelmed. And that is where the paragraph above came out like word vomit. I started making a list of everything that felt strange to me (recycling bins), and things I had sort of even forgot about (who knew drinking fountains were still a thing haha). And then I decided that I just needed to breathe. I decided that because I was home only for such a short time period that I needed to focus on why I was here; to spend this precious time with the people I love. I decided I could be negative another day, and that the next 35 days were going to be great. And let me tell you, they certainly were....
One Second Everyday. May 1st-31st. Saying Goodbye to Malawi, and Hello to Wisconsin.
My first site of Qdoba in 2 years...but I must say, the avocado just didn't taste the same as the ones freshly picked off of a tree in Malawi.
When I arrived at the Madison airport I had some familiar visitors there waiting.
Everyone has always told me we look so much alike, and I've never really understood why :)
Home Sweet Poynette Home
While home in Wisconsin I was able to catch up with so many awesome people, do such fun things, and drink some pretty tasty craft beer. And this all started hours after I got off my plane.
One would think the first night back after a long trip across the big pond would be for catching up on sleep, or trying to get over the jet lag, but that's not what my sister had in mind. It was time to start the festivities ASAP...and that's exactly what we did. Before I knew it I had a New Glarus off tap in my hand (on the house from the bartender), an old friend to chat with (thanks Luke Jones), and live bluegrass music in the background.
If anything could make me feel at home so quickly, it was this first night out in Madison.
From here the busy schedule never slowed down. There were so many people to see and such little time to do it.
My first weekend back Mom and I drove Alisha up to her new job in International Falls, MN. It was a long drive -well not really compared to Malawian public transport- but it seemed like we were driving up into the middle of no where. But it sure is beautiful up there, and I know Alisha is enjoying it.
The view from Alisha's little cabin up in the woods :)
I also had the chance to attend a wedding of a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and a Malawian, who met in 2016 in Malawi during his service. There were many other Returned Peace Corps Volunteers there and it was great to catch up with them as well -also a bit weird seeing people I've only ever met in Malawi (usually wearing chacos and chitenje) all dressed up and looking stunning for the wedding. The best man's speech brought back memories of how Bryan and Tilly met and of how infatuated Bryan was for Tilly from the start. We "chopped" kwatcha (the Malawian currency) during the dollar dance as a way of sharing part of a culture that we all have had an opportunity of experiencing. Overall, our time spent at the wedding celebrating Bryan and Tilly was beautiful and only made me miss Malawi more than I already had been.
The best part of my time home was how many friends and family I was able to connect with after 2 years of not seeing them. As Peace Corps Volunteers, before we return home from our service -whether it be for good or if we are returning for a third year- we have a conference. During this time one of the things focused on is how we, as volunteers who have lived in Malawi for the last two years, are going to re-adjust back into life in the States. How are we going to deal with and process the reverse culture shock that we experience when leaving one home and saying hello to another? (I definitely haven't figured this out yet. If I ever do I'll let you know). The other big focus is how people at home are going to react to you, the life you just lived, the most real experiences you've ever had, and the things you just can't explain. It is often said that when a Peace Corps Volunteer returns home they have a very difficult time connecting with the people at home that used to be "their people." However, in regards to this I feel quite blessed. Although no one but me will really ever know exactly what my first 2 years in Malawi was like, I felt like people gave me the time to explain, asked a lot of good questions, and were genuinely eager to learn about Malawi. And to this- I am thankful. Nice work friends :)
Some of MY people...
So thank you to all who made the time for me while I was home. Thank you for the chats, the questions, the free meals. Thank you for the hikes, the time you took off work, and the memories we shared. But most importantly thank you for supporting me through this journey, and being truly curious about my time spent in Malawi.
For those who I didn't see, but wanted to, we have next time :)
One Second Everyday. June 1st-30th.
Before I knew it I was heading back to Malawi for a third year. And as the plane flew over Madison headed southeast all I could think was "Gosh, we have so many unnecessary paved roads"....
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