Americaland: Three Weeks of Wonders

Where is there a land where (almost) every house has a toilet that flushes, every kitchen a fridge, every building wireless internet? Where cheeses are seen in variety and in abundance, real ketchup comes with your fries and real coffee flows from coffee makers and cafés on every corner? And two last words: ice cream. Need I say more?

Yes, this and more lies in the land beyond the sea, far from the heat and the dust of my past year in West Africa. And it was this land of plenty that I stepped back into when I went home for the past three weeks for my youngest brother's nuptial festivities. I was surprised by several things: how green it all was, how many several story buildings there were, how I was able to remain dust and sweat free for hours at a time, how the cashier at the gas station store didn't understand French, how funny an American dollar looked and how light our coins are, just how much cheese there really was, the possibilities . . and the choices of every aisle of every store (shampoos!). Many people asked me if I felt culture shock in returning, but mostly it was the little things: being amazed as I watched children at my mom's elementary school form quick and tidy lines after recess (Burkinabé children: Lines? What are lines?), being able to put ice in my drink (and actually thinking- this is maybe too cold), being able to hand over a $20 bill and the cashier not bat an eyelash at giving me change. Mostly though, it felt comfortable and cozy to slip right back into home and Vermont and the lovely, breezy weather.

It was incredibly special to be able to watch my little brother get married and I am still in shock that it happened (and that now he's an old and crotchety married man). (Sorry, Wes.)But it was beautiful, held just a walk from our house in the back fields and celebrated in our own restored barn. In summary the weather was perfect, the cake was delicious and seeing Wesley dance with his bride was priceless.

I also spent one lovely week with my dearest friend Candace in Buffalo, NY and re-connected with Houghton alums and my old Mennonite church. It was perfect; I ate well, and stayed up late, acted like a kid- eating ice cream, going to the zoo, biking around on a pink bike, flying a kite, . . another part of making the vacation a glorious respite from work and the heat.

Now after a long 52 hours of transit, I made it back to Burkina and stepped off that plane again into the 100 degree humidity. I had a flash back of first stepping off the plane onto the runway a year ago and realizing how much I have learned and experience and grown between those two moments of arrival. One a new beginning, the other a return. One a fearful nervous step, the other a confident almost relieved step back onto Burkinabé soil. Yes, America is a land of wonders, but how many more new and unique and wacky and dramatic and sad and touching and wild wonders have I discovered in this land called Burkina Faso? And how many more do I have to discover in this next year?