I had an interview in a coffeeshop today. As I waited for my interviewer to arrive, the culture shock set in. I knew I wanted to order a coffee, but suddenly I had so many options–it was really quite overwhelming, I didn’t remember what anything was, and I went with the safe, plain coffee to easy my confusion. But what is it doing in this large cup? Do I really want this much coffee? Ooh, but it IS nice to be able to wrap my hands around the cup. Oh, it’s nice to feel like I need to wrap my hands around this cup…it is quite chilly, now that I think about it…
And then I thought about how interesting it was to me that I could throw toilet paper in the bowl, not the wastebasket—never mind that I’m confusedly conflicted every time I do it. Which way is the right way, again? So it hit me in a more obvious way that I was back in the US. But, “back” in the way that I’ve started reading another book while still not finishing or putting down the last one yet. I had a lot of time to think, the last week that I was in Brazil, and I had composed so many lovely, insightful posts in my mind, but as you will notice, didn’t write any of them down, so they succumbed to the wave of other thoughts that have overtaken me this last week. Now, finally, the first wave has ebbed and I can begin to write about the end again, as it seems, but only in-between family dinners and catching up on pop-culture via youtube. The internet is at my disposal, and I am gluttonously scouting out ideas on…everything. I am wandering around in my own head, marveling at the carpet or the mysterious–and pleasant–non-existence of ants everywhere. Assimilation back is a very curious thing, which seems so unassuming at first, but is taxing, even in its innocence. I think now that I’ve let the wave build up, I’ll have to give in carefully or be overwhelmed or jaded.
