Greetings, dear reader, from mi querido país (my beloved country), the U S of A! I returned home late last night with, as this blog title suggests, severely mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was and am incredibly excited to be back with my immediate family, with reunions scheduled with both my extended families later this month. I am happy to be reunited with modern plumbing, fresh raspberries, adjustable temperature showers, drinkable tap water, 24/7 electricity and many other conveniences. On the other hand, I have heartstrings reaching several thousand miles to the Caribbean and my beloved adoptive country. My last few days in the country presented Kirsten-as-emotional-basketcase. I tried to memorize the curves in the highway going through my province, a highway I can be reasonably assured will still not be fully paved when I visit the DR in the future (what with those reliably unreliable politicians and their abandoned public works projects). I tried to memorize the taste of criollo food and the contours in the faces of those I have grown to know and love. And I cried a lot. On the last day of class. On my last ride to the capital (46 passengers on a bus with 33 seats). In the airport. On the plane, at takeoff and landing for each of three flights. All these tears, of course, are testament to the weight and magnificence of my year's experience in the Dominican Republic. As nice as it is to be home, I now feel the need to use air quotes, because I have established a second home and inserted myself into a second family (two, actually) in Neyba. I do not expect to glide smoothly back into my old life (whatever that means). There is such thing as reverse culture shock, and it is my goal to write reflections about this at regular intervals throughout my re-integration process. So stay tuned, dear reader, and saludos until next time!
~Kirsten
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