homeward bound

What’s up, guys? Here is what is up with me: I’m going home the day after tomorrow!! Hopefully I will be able to hang out with [you] while I am there. This will be my first time in the States since February 2008! I imagine things are pretty similar there, although from the La Sirena checkout lines I have noticed that Tic Tacs have gotten bigger here. Have they gotten bigger in the States? I suspect that they have. Other than that, though, you guys are still using the dollar, right? Have you gotten rid of pennies? Is Obama on any money yet? Do we still have fifty states? Which group would you say is more hated, gays or Arab-Americans? Do they still make that gross cherry-chocolate flavor Dr Pepper? Does anyone know if my credit union is still in business? I have like three hundred dollars in checking, that shit better still be there.

Well! I suppose I will find the answers to these questions and more as of 5:17pm on Thursday, unless my flight gets delayed.

In case you are curious, here is my “To do” list for while I’m home. It is composed entirely of food (and a few beverages). Please contact me if you would like to eat some of these foods with me.

• Thai restaurant
  
• Masala
  
• Steak & Shake*
  
• Panera
  
• Coffeehouse
  
• Burger Barge*
  
• Sonic slushie
  
• Greek Islands
  
• Big pretzel
  
• Waffles
  
• Jalapeño chips
  
• Diet Diet Pepper

* For those of you sassafrasses who would like to know what a vegetarian is doing at Steak & Shake and Burger Barge, the answer is: French fries. Also shakes. And they have portabella mushroom sandwiches at Burger Barge. (I don’t get it, but whenever I express a desire to visit Steak n Shake to non-Midwestern Peace Corps friends, they are always like, “But you’re vegetarian! Why would you want to go to a place called Steak n Shake.” And I’m all, “Hello, it’s called “Steak n Shake,” the shakes are vegetarian!” They just don’t even know, you guys.)

Aside from food, I am also looking forward to:

• Air conditioning
  
• Hot showers (I know, I know, if it weren’t for the air conditioning, the hot showers wouldn’t be necessary)
  
• Uninterrupted electricity
  
• Traveling with my sweet State Department passport (which, there appears to be no real reason why Peace Corps volunteers get these, and we're definitely not State Department employees, but the passports are rad)
  
• Not being stared at all the damn time
  
• Target
  
• Some pretense of customer service
  
• Basic respect for line-waiting
  
• Driving around in cars with fewer than six people in them
  
• Seeing family & friends or whatever

Mainly my planning for my trip home has reverted to me having the same conversations with my mom that I would have had circa age ten. “MOM! For my birthday, can we get an ICE CREAM CAKE?!”

“AND CAN WE GO TO THE WATER PARK??”

“CAN WE GO TO SHAKESPEARE FEST AND HAVE A PICNIC ON THE LAWN!!” (OK, at ten I might not have wanted the Shakespeare, but definitely the picnic.)

“MOM, I KNOW I SAID YOU COULD USE MY GAME BOY WHILE I WAS GONE BUT I WANT IT BACK NOW.”

“MOM, CAN CHRISTINE AND JULIA SPEND THE NIGHT AT OUR HOUSE?”

“MOM, CAN WE HAVE A PARTY AT THE HOUSE FOR FOURTH OF JULY? AND CAN WE MAKE CHEESE DIP?”

“MOM, WHEN WE GO TO WISCONSIN CAN WE GO TO THE RESTAURANT ON THE LAKE, WITH THE BIG UMBRELLA AND THE FRIED PICKLES?”

Basically this is probably going to be the BEST THREE WEEKS I’VE EVER SPENT IN AMERICA.