Friday, May 8, 2009 4:30 AM
Airport in Lima
About a month ago, I was selected as one of forty finalists for the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship, so Tuesday night I was on a flight to Washington, D.C. for a final interview.
Being back in the United States for the first time in 3.5 months:
My first reaction to getting off the plane at my layover in Miami Wednesday morning was “No! I’m not ready to be back!” but after seeing a big group of school children, I felt so at home. I had forgotten how diverse everyone is in the United States and it was so heartwarming to see the kids laughing and talking together.
My second reaction was “Hey, I’m short again!” Even though I’m only 5’4 or 5’5, I am considered tall in Peru. I tower over other girls – even when they are wearing 3 inch wedges – and tend to be about the same height as most guys.
My third reaction was “Yay!” when I realized how easy it was to find public bathrooms where 1) I didn’t have to pay, 2) came with toilet paper, 3) had a seat cover, and 4) I could flush said toilet paper down the toilet itself. I’ve grown accustomed to having 1 or 2 of these conditions met at a time but not all together.
There were so many other little things that I had forgotten about that seemed amazing to me. For instance, when I went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with my Aunt Deirdre (we had a great visit since she lives close to the hotel I was staying at), and I remembered I could have free tap water with ice, I might have actually gasped aloud. And for dinner, I was able to have food similar to a gyro that I’ve been craving for several months now!
The interview Thursday morning went fine and I had the opportunity to tour the Foreign Service Institute. It was interesting to see the perspective of the United States in foreign affairs in a different light. After my interview was done, I began the long process of flights and layovers to get into Lima and I’m still in the airport waiting to fly directly to Iquitos to visit the Peruvian part of the Amazon.
Stay tuned for my crazy weekend in the jungle! Coli
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