Things I miss about home…
Being able to wash my clothes in a washing machine and drying them! We have to wash our clothes in a pila, which is a type of sink. This takes a really long time which we don’t seem to have a lot of here. One thing about living in a place that is hot and humid is clothes take a really really long time to dry, which means they smell bad. So… I am grateful that I live in a place I can easily wash and dry clothes.
My bed! We sleep on cots which yes , I am getting used to but still I would LOVE to sleep in a real bed where I can spread out and get a good night’s sleep.
Not having to use bug spray five times a day. Mosquitoes are everywhere! And for some reason I guess I taste really good because they just won’t leave me alone! Good thing there aren’t many nasty diseases people get here like malaria or I would be in trouble.
Having a car. Ok so this one isn’t totally true… I actually don’t like driving, maybe because I don’t have a nice car and I’m always worried I’m going to get stranded somewhere on the side of the road. I know I would love driving if I had a nice car that was fun to drive (like maybe Austin’s M5 J). Anyway, we travel in buses here and that seems to be an interesting experience. Some of the busses are pretty ghetto and I have to wonder about how safe they are. It’s pretty funny because some of them play music and have neon and black lights. At certain times of the day they tend to pack us in like cattle; if you have problems with personal space that goes out the window pretty quick. Luckily we are all smart about keeping our stuff close so none of us have gotten anything stolen. I also miss having air-conditioning.
Personal space and privacy! I haven’t shared a room since I was a freshman in college which sadly was six years ago. Come to think of it, that was the only time I’ve ever shared a room! Not that I don’t like my roommate Taylor, I do, she is great and lots of fun! It just takes some getting used to. The house I live in has no privacy; it is built so that everyone can hear you all around the house. So if you don’t want everyone in the house to know about it you better not say it… which makes talking on the phone a little difficult sometimes!
Understanding the language! That is a big one! I wish so badly that I knew Spanish! Why didn’t I take more in school or at least try harder to learn before I came here?!? One of the most frustrating things is being at a project and not being able to help or talk to the people because you can’t communicate efficiently.
Not feeling like I’m going to get lung cancer every time I breathe while in the city. San Salvador is pretty polluted and the cars and busses give off a lot of exhaust. I am pretty into the environment and not ruining it so when I see this it makes my stomach turn. I now try to be careful about when I take a breath.
Those are some of the things that I’ve thought about since I’ve been here that are different about living in El Salvador. It’s nothing I can’t handle though, I mean I wasn’t expecting to come here and have all the amenities I do at home. I mean shoot, I wasn’t expecting hot showers but most of the time I get one!
I love El Salvador so far and think that this has been and will be an amazing experience! The people here are so awesome, the locals and all everyone I live with! This is also such a beautiful country and I’m excited to see and learn more about it!
2 comments:
Doesn't it just make you love the USA?! You will want to kiss the ground when you get off the plane! And then you'll feel guilty for loving it. Haha. Just the way it goes. Keep telling us your stories. I love to hear about the things you are experiencing.
In which part of El Salvador are you living? Because I live in El Salvador and I have a washing and a drying machine, I also sleep in a real nice bed every night, I don’t have to use bug spray at all and I can take a hot shower whenever I want.
You are making it sound like the whole country has those living conditions your are describing. Clarify.
Post a Comment