Returning from Peace Corps service left Samantha split between two cultures: American and Moldovan. Image from cabincrewdreamer.blogspot.com. I totally underestimated what it would feel like to move back to a…
Boston: 10 Things I’ll Do In My New Home
Boston is Samantha’s to explore! Image from generationcitizen.org. I’m loving living in the Boston area again, so instead of thinking about all of the things I wanted to do but…
“You’re so literal!” – Using Bilingualism to Understand Communication
One little word can change the meaning of everything. Image from boston.com. “I’m still coming to understand just how literal you are,” my mom once told me over a long-distance…
Neither Winter Nor Spring
This post originally appeared in my Peace Corps blog roughly four years ago. Once again I find myself in the limbo that is March indecisiveness. Though I am no longer…
Barranquilla Carnaval, 2nd Time Around
It’s not everywhere in the world where months of raucous, citywide, business-paralyzing parties are not only permitted, but heavily encouraged. As the home of the second biggest Carnaval in the…
Living with (More) Surprises
Do you ever feel that you’ve had to learn the same lessons repeatedly? I learn the don’t-make-promises-before-you-know-what-you’re-getting-into lesson over and over again. When it happens every time, it shouldn’t be…
A trip home, and some thoughts about (Peace Corps) success
Huddled over a cayenne-and-cinnamon-spiced mug of almond milk-hot chocolate, wriggling my toes in striped wool socks while snow fell outside, I knew I was home. Home for a week-long visit,…
Keeping in Touch or Keeping Your Distance?
When you leave a travel destination, do you intend to stay in touch with those you’ve met while traveling? I speak not only to fellow Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs), but…
The Posh Potty
Funny how a couple years back in America has completely altered my concept of an acceptable toilet. I’d rather utilize a hole in the ground than a mud-smothered, though tiled,…
Heard ‘Round the World
In the Peace Corps, we are not supposed to discuss politics. Not local ones, not ones back home. In the most neutral of times at my site in Barranquilla, Colombia,…
Coffee fun for everyone
Even if you don’t drink coffee, Colombia’s Coffee Triangle is a magical place to visit. I hesitate to write this. If I do, you might race and get your plane…
Adjustments and Outhouses
As I reflect on my adaptation to Florida and how much I’ve grown this year, I know I have my Peace Corps training to thank for my flexibility. Thus, here…
Being “American”: A Hard Habit to Break
I was warned about many things prior to coming to Barranquilla, Colombia with the Peace Corps six months ago: Your life will be a fishbowl—everyone will know exactly what you…
Marathon Tourism
Since 2006, “running a marathon” has also come to mean “travel excuse.” In fact, I cannot imagine myself running a marathon (whether half or full) in a town I’ve been…
Baking Down Boundaries
As an American guy in my village, I was sometimes the target of some interesting propositions from local women (see http://blog.sheswanderful.com/?p=2272). It was not uncommon for male teachers, living far…