recap: la usa (ooh-sa)

My trip to the U.S. was pretty fabulous. The main reason is because I realized why I joined Peace Corps back in 2005. I missed Chicago so much while I was gone but there were tons of things that I didn’t miss while I was there. Time management, always rushing, the stress of living with my wonderful parents after living on my own for 2 years, materialism, the necessity to plan everything out, always feeling inadequate because I don’t have the newest (insert here), etc. But gosh, I missed my friends. I also missed: the thrill of going to Wrigley, seeing Chicago through a tourist’s eyes, Lou Malnati’s pizza, Flying Chicken green sauce, 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Blue Moon, chocolate cake, internet for 5 minutes or 25 minutes, iced coffee, new music, magazines, newspapers, calling Emily, Mario’s with Greg, being teased incessantly by J, knowing the LHR was a drive away rather than a plane ride away, mini golf at Novelty Golf (Course 2) and phone tag with Tony Akins.

My first week home was laid back, lunch with friends, dinner with the girls, phone calls to people I haven’t spoken to in awhile. I went to Las Vegas for 3 days to see my high school friend (and cynical soulmate) Jon get married and enjoy Vegas now that I’m over 21. After a scary flight back (I’m sorry, but it is scary when the pilot requests flight attendants to sit down), my second week was spent showing a friend around Chicago. Cubs game (they won!), bar crawl afterward, bike ride along Lake Michigan, jibarito sandwiches, Giordano’s Pizza, Goose Island Brewery…fun times.

I’m back in Honduras now and the U.S., once again, seems like a dream. Was I ever really there? I thought about that as I argued with a cab driver to not rip me off at the airport.