Back in the U.S.A.

Back in America sixteen months ago, I ached with anxiety- not necessarily about going to Senegal, but about spending two years away from America and the inevitable reverse culture shock. I hadn’t imagined that I would return home in my two years of service and instead thought that my time in Senegal would be a hiatus from the rest of my life. And the source of my anxiety: this perception that my time in Senegal would be confined to the actual moments my feet were on Senegal’s sandy soils.

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I would like to say that my desire to integrate my worlds of Senegal and America is what drove me to my three week vacation in New York- but the idea of three weeks of being with loved ones, eating cheese and drinking craft beer, and enjoying the comforts of running water, electricity, and sitting on a toilet seat also proved tempting. Though my daily activities were drastically different, these past three weeks flew by just as quickly as those spent in Senegal. My whole family reunited for a three day celebration of Thanksgiving/Christmas/EveryJewishHoliday. I ate fifteen months worth of holiday feasts in three weeks, an accomplishment for my rice belly. And I ate every food we Peace Corps volunteers crave- even Chipotle at the height of its E.coli issues (me no longer being a stranger to parasites). I saw three movies (more than I had in my last few years in America). I learned about the new hip things in America: automated international customs stations at the airport, uber, How to Get Away with Murder, selfie sticks and the endless snapchat filters. I started studying the current college-aged lingo: “on fleek” and “fuego”, to name a couple. I finally caught up on news and feared for my life that Trump running for president was not actually a practical joke. I enjoyed woods, hills, parks, beaches, and giant Christmas trees randomly in cities. I saw an off Broadway play that unexpectedly ended up pertaining to aid in Africa, and my life. I took long showers and tried best to clean myself up so my family would let me stay in their house- but whenever someone said, “hey do you smell that?” I always had to respond, hesitantly, “is it me?” I went to the Museum of Natural History and freaked out when the Bambara people were mentioned in the ancient Africa section. I planned my mom and brother’s trip to Senegal. I partook in the post-holiday sales as I packed my bags to capacity with seriche (gifts from the road), a valued practice in Senegal, for my community. And I cherished the moments I had with friends and family after so long without them.

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I began to look to the future. Not in the- what do I want to do? Where should I work? What should I study?- kind of way (though I had greatly intended to). But the “how”. How do I want to live? Or the “who”. Who do I want to be? At one point I was asked: “what has this experience taught you about your life, character, perceptions, lifestyle, etc.” A very good question. But it was followed up by an even better one: “how do you plan on maintaining or incorporating these traits into your life in America?” I quickly made a joke about this being an interview and steered the conversation towards the more typical “what’s the food like?” and “do you miss having electricity?” Because integrating what I love most about Senegal and America didn’t always come naturally. After just a few weeks in America, I was glued to my phone screen for navigation, communication, and entertainment. I chose TV over books. I was responsible for a lot of waste, consumerism, and unnecessarily long showers. I lowered my head to the street, rather than actively engaging with others. With my two worlds being so drastically different and incomparable, reverse cultural shock wasn’t too alarming- as I eased back into my old ways. Which left me thinking- how can I fuse the two cultures and way of thinking- how can I piece together the parts I love of all of the places I have lived?

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My time spent in America was relaxing, a tad indulgent, and a much needed break. But it provided me with great insights and a new perspective on my remaining time in Senegal. I am left appreciating every detail that makes my life here so unique- learning how to cherish these moments, and how to adapt them for a sustainable adoption of these traits into my life, wherever that life may take me.

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Thank you friends and family for indulging me in my endless questions about new phone apps, fears of Trump, inability to order off a menu, never ending plates of food that I put in front of us, struggles to speak English, and my longing for the coziness of a nice bed or couch. But most of all- thank you for taking interest in my life as a PC volunteer and the country that I love so much. Sharing stories and projects, discussing Senegalese culture and lifestyle, and showing photos of my close friends in Senegal were more delightful than that first cup of good coffee off of the plane. From “how do you pronounce your Senegalese name,” to “what kind of work are you doing,” and even to “how do you plan on maintaining what you have learned in Senegal during your post-PC lifestyle” I always welcome questions (even all the way back in Senegal). Thank you! And feel free to post any questions/comments below or via email!

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Much love and happy new year!