You Know You Have Been In The Peace Corps A Year When...

Well, a year has come and gone and I guess its time to put together another list:

You know you have been in the the Peace Corps for a year when--

You forget common everyday English words.You also exchange English words for the new language you have learned. It makes sense to all the volunteers who now make-up your social group, you don't understand when people outside this circle can't figure out what you are talking about.

You now have the patients of a monk, or at least it feels like it, nothing phases you. Sitting on a hot bus for hours with a baby crying and livestock on the seat next to you is just another day.

You no longer worry about whether a dish is clean, you eat off it. You no longer worry if the picked fruit is washed, you eat it. You no longer worry if your hair is greasy, you put it in a pony tail.

You begin to miss food more than (some) people. You begin to day dream about the moment you get off the airplane and are greeted at the airport by your family...and a burrito.

You forget how to be normal in American social situations. Having gotten used to not shaking hands with people, women are left out of this custom in Moldova, I proceeded to wave at people when I met the new volunteers. No handshake, just an awkward two-foot from the person wave.

All the clothes you brought with you are now well-worn, baggy and missing a button. You come up with new clever ways of making them wearable...and chic if I may say so myself. The elastic waist band on your gym shorts goes and so, you use a belt to keep them up. This also serves as entertainment for your host family. Host mom couldn't stop laughing at me up in the tree with my belt hanging down from my big shorts. Whatever, I rocked it.

And, you accept the fact that you will always look and sound like a foreigner and embrace the good and bad about this fact.

It's really quite funny the difference a year makes.

~Peace