After a year...

(in no particular order)

…I keep reminding myself to calculate the percentage of my monthly “income” that I spend on Starbucks and iced chai lattes in general. 15%? 30%? When will the novelty wear off?

…I forget what “quiet” sounds like. Does it make a sound? Where do I find it? Are there jeepneys, roosters, motorcycles, and loud music involved? How did I feel when I was surrounded by “quiet”?

…I have realized which friendships are strong enough to survive long distance, and which ones are best kept local. For those long-distance friends, I am truly grateful.

…I start to wonder if people in the US will think I am crazy when I return. Will they wonder why I make kissy noises to get someone’s attention, why I answer with my eyebrows, why I point with my lips, and why I draw a square in the air to ask for the bill or anytime I have insufficient Cebuano words to describe what I am looking for?

…I still miss my blow dryer and hair straightener, but I realize that there is no point in having one here – the hair will look good again when I am not immersed in such humidity. Still, though…I miss it.

…I have rounded the curve and within a few weeks, will hit the half-way mark of my time in the Philippines. Where does time go, and why does it seem like it flies so fast?

…I have realized that this is my “real life”, after making hundreds of references to, “Well, if this were my real life…” or “In my real life, I would do this…” Two years is very temporary, but what am I missing out on if I don’t consider it part of my “real life”?

…I forget which English words I started using here and which ones I have always used. Will I always like the word “avail” as much as I do now? Will I forever insert the words “actually”, “already”, and “supposedly” way too often into my sentences? Will I continue to write letters that begin with “Greetings!”? How did I start letters before?

…I realize that I am about a year behind on fashion, movies, music, and anything pop culture, and yet, I don’t care.

...there have been points where Peace Corps has been five times more difficult, yet ten times more rewarding, than I ever expected.

…there have been no regrets.