Because Sometimes All You Can Do Is Laugh

The 35 Naughtiest Dogs On The Planet. You'll Laugh So Hard When You See What They Did!

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http://distractify.com/fun/fails/dogs-who-are-shamelessly-proud-of-what-they-just-did/

Move over Movember....it's time for Dinovember!

This was one of the first things I read this morning and what a great way to start the day it was! Like the writer says, in today's technology age where a childhood of wonder and imagination seems to be lost, what a cute idea to help keep the magic of life alive!   

What have your dinosaurs gotten into lately?! 

Wanna know what I'm talking about? Check out the link below to find out! : )

https://medium.com/thoughts-on-creativity/6f4cb1886d41

Back in the US of A **UPDATED

I've been back in the US for less than a week and I've noticed some things about life back here that I wanted to spew out before I forget them/I get used to them and no longer recognize them as unique.

1.  I really missed walking around barefoot in a house and not feeling dirty from doing so.

2. To go along with #1, it's nice to NOT have to sweep a house 5 times a day (and still feel like it's dirty)

3. It's noisy over here.  Cars, planes, lawn mowers, dishwashers, tvs, etc. Quite different from the chickens and church announcements I'm used to in Guatemala.

4. Driving is hard. I never realized how much (over)stimulation happens when driving.  Especially on highways, and when you don't know where you're going.  Not only are you watching the road, but the gas tank, mileage, kids in the back seat, radio nob, directions, lights.....I never realized how exhausting it was since I was so used to it!  BUT, I LOVE having a car. Not only for the freedom, but for not having to lug around all my stuff from errands the entire day.  Just pop them in the car and let the car carry them instead of a sweaty backpack.

5. It's SO nice to have water fountains and (FREE) bathrooms (mostly clean) everywhere you go

6. My sister has great taste in clothes and I'm so grateful we are the same size and she doesn't mind sharing with me (or doesn't have a say since she's out of town)

7. I LOVE going to the gym!!!!

8. Americans have a lot of STUFF and they don't shy away from being rude and angry in public : ( I HATE bureaucracy (wow, normally, I consider myself a good speller, but that word made me feel special) and "policies" as much, if not more so, than when I left!!!!

9. It's nice to....
*play in grass without fire ants or scorpions,
*eat pre-cooked organic beans (make that anything already canned and ready to eat without soaking
  overnight and boiling for a few hours),
*have the freedom to go places (even at night),
*watch tv
*leave the house without storing my computer, money, etc. in a safe
*eat veggies without disinfecting them
*sit on a sofa
*sit on a carpeted floor
*take great showers and have non-frizzy, not only-pony-tail worthy hair
*have a printer
*go to the library
*not have to make an entire day trip to go to the bank or grocery store or key copy or any other errand
*have a DISHWASHER! and washer machine, and dryer!
*Appreciate my country for some of the good things it has to offer.

10. CHEMICALS---I'm not a fan and they seem to be everywhere. I've always been sensitive to them but even more so now that I've removed them from my life (as much as possible).  I went to the gym the other day and had to cover my nose every 5 seconds from all the chemicals being sprayed. It seemed like every time I tried to breathe, someone was spraying a machine down, spraying their towel, or using hand sanitizer.  I won't even get into why this is SO TERRIBLE for everyone involved, so I'll just say it was smelly, burned my nose, and made it hard for me to breathe.  Only bad part of the gym...the rest was great!

So, it happens quite often that I don't have a good photo and I simply "Google Image search" what I want to portray in the blog.  It's usually spot on, no matter what randomness I type.  For this entry, I typed, "It's so good to be here, even though I still miss home"....and google must be out to lunch because the results had NOTHING to do with that...they were too funny not to share. So here are some of the best picks. Enjoy.

I've never met Natascha, but I'm sure she's lovely and I would miss her if I knew her.

I do miss having funds in my savings account so I suppose this is somewhat on target.

It's not even Friday, Google. Get your s**t together.

Too many possible captions running around in my head to pick just one.

Okay, I'll give you credit for these two.  I do miss my garden and my dog, so....

I guess I'm missing the woman in me? Time to go paint my nails.

I'm going to Disneyland!!!

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Guatemala City, waiting to head to the airport and to the states after almost a year away. I am full of emotion--excited, sad, anxious, tired, etc.

After living in such a peaceful, easy-going town where I walk everywhere and my food store is the size of my bedroom back home, the thought of heading to congested highways and super-sized grocery stores can seem a bit overwhelming. 

I arrived in Guatemala City yesterday and stopped at Tikal futuro mall for lunch in the food court. Walking in the mall (and seeing Xmas decorations) immediately created anxiety rising in me.

I still remember when I came back to the USA after living for almost 3 years in Paraguay. The first time I went to the grocery store, I walked in and immediately back out. It was too much. Later, I went to the mall with my mom (it was also Christmas time and very crowded). I've never enjoyed malls so I'm not sure why I thought that would be a good idea. This time, I only made it as far as the parking lot, saw the cars, imagined all the crowds, and had mom drive me home. Hello reverse culture shock!

Last but not least, Im anxious about the flights. I haven't had a panic attack in over a year now but the memory of my attack during a flight is still very fresh and scary. It's been awhile since I've had to practice my calming techniques so I hope I remember them. Plus, in true San Marcos style, I now have my trusty crystals with me to hold on the plane, should I need them.

And while I'm nervous about the culture shock, I think it's eased by remembering that I'm only visiting and by focusing on the positive things I'm looking forward to. The obvious, and most important reasons, being seeing my family and friends. But, as my expat friends and I like to discuss, going home is like going to Disneyland. Working, hot, showers! Clean, soft bedding! Here is my list of stateside goods I'm looking forward to most:

1. Showers! Hot ones, long ones, ones with two nozzles to adjust the temperature, ones with enough pressure to wet my hair and rinse the soap off my body, ones without mosquitoes biting me during it, ones where I know there will be water coming out when I turn it on.

2. Baths!!!! 

3. Eating a meal without checking for ants in every bite and every honey pour.

4. Fresh, organic, salads (that I don't have to disinfect first).

5. Washing machines and dryers!

6. Not feeling like I'm constantly being ripped off because of the color of my skin.

7. Washing my toothbrush holder and water bottle straw in the dish washer (I brought them on this trip specifically for this reason).

8. Thai food, fish tacos, Mexican food, chocolate-covered cashews, pizza slices, gelato, more salads, and fresh salmon.

9. Having a car. I'm actually a bit nervous to drive, but look forward to the freedom of it.

10. Target. I'm looking forward to one-stop shopping and not having to go all over the country (literally) to complete a shopping list.

11. Salt shakers that work.

12. No bugs, scorpions, critters, etc. crawling on me in bed or any other time.

13. Sinks with cold and hot water. And ones that have an endless supply of water and are never turned off.

15. Throwing toilet paper in the toilet and not having to burn it.

16. Watching movies on anything other than a computer or iPod screen.

17. Radios.

18. Running new routes, on a track, and gyms( spinning, body pump, swimming)!!!!

19. Sharing the love of my friends and family!!!

***UPDATE: 20. And how could I forget perhaps the most important one....sitting on a REAL SOFA!!!! I'm loving life in the USA on my comfy sofa right now! : )

I'm a Triangle but I Want my Kids to be Stars

I'm preparing myself for a trip "home" to the USA after almost a year away (this time around). I've spent most of my adult life (and formative teenage years) living/spending significant chunks of time abroad.  While I'm grateful for each and every experience I've had, both at "home" and abroad, the inner processes I've been through because of them sometimes leave me feeling like I don't fit in anywhere.  

I don't ever feel like I fit in in the USA because it's hard to relate to those people who have not lived overseas.  This is especially tough when it's your own family and friends and you care about them and love them so much, yet find it really hard to relate to them at times.  And while I often feel more at home living overseas, I'm still never truly "one of them." I've had this discussion with several "travel friends/fellow ex-patriates" and it's something we seem to all relate to.  It's what can bond us together instantly and can keep boundaries up with people sometimes considered closest to us, if we know they just "won't get it." 

All of this can lead to a bit of a cultural identity crisis that's hard to explain. I recently read a blog post that put the process into simple terms and wanted to share it here. I think it's a nice follow up to my most recent post, "Unintentional Cultural Exchanges," as well. What do you think?

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I am a triangle and other thoughts on repatriation 

I’ve been talking an awful lot to people who know what it’s like to repatriate.  I’ve also been completely hiding that part of my life from people who don’t know what it’s like to repatriate.

It’s kind of like. Um. It’s similar to, huh. Maybe you could liken it to ….You know, I can’t think of a similar situation, experience.

It’s a secret that isn’t a secret.

It’s a piece of my life that I keep to myself unless I know the person I’m sharing it with will understand...What I’m about to share with you is one of the illustrations that were shared at a retreat she recently went to... De-Brief and Renewal Retreat by Missionary Training International for missionaries living overseas. The following is my adaptation (including my basic Sharpie drawings) of an illustration that was shared at that retreat...found it to be a helpful tool for me as I flailed my way through repatriation and the reality that we are forever changed from our experience of living abroad.

* * *

Imagine a place called Circle Country. Everyone who lives inside of its borders are Circle Citizens. The Circle Country has very specific culture, holidays, celebrations, food preferences, a language that is unique to them as well as music, education and political categories.

Let’s also talk about Square Society. Everyone who lives inside of its borders are Square Settlers. The Square Society also has the culture, holidays, celebrations, food preferences (and on and on) as the Circle Country, but they are completely different.

One day, a Circle Citizen got on a plane and flew to Square Society. That Circle landed squarely (pun intended) in the middle of the Square Settlers and their Square Culture.

Circle Citizen now lives in the midst of Square Settlers, and he or she may adapt to a degree, but will never become a truly Square Settler. At the same time, this Circle Citizen will also start to lose a bit of his/her Circle culture.

The normal circle things start to blend together with the new square culture. The major holidays in Circle Country might dissipate a bit to allow for the celebration of Square festivals.

Favorite comfort foods that remind her of Circle Country give way to the acceptance of new Square foods. The Circle culture never quite gives way to the new Square norms and at the same time doesn’t go away completely either.

He or she slowly — and seemingly unconsciously — evolves into something completely different. The transformation to a Triangle Tenant begins. Being a Triangle means you have some of your original Circle culture mixed with some of your newly adopted Square culture.

You are no longer 100% Circle, but you’ll never again be 100% Square. You are left — almost hanging — somewhere in the middle.

Now, imagine that after some time, this Triangle Tenant hops on yet another plane and returns to Circle Country. This Triangle doesn’t revert to the previous Circle status just because he has landed home. This Triangle remains forever a Triangle.

I will always be a Triangle.

As I find myself back in Circle Country, the good ole’ US of A, so far, I’ve found that I am mostly surrounded by Circles. Folks who haven’t ventured too far out of the Circle boundaries.

I still don’t quite know where I fit in. My “pointy parts” don’t blend in so well with the smooth edges of the circles. My time amongst squares leaves me with memories that will stay forever, yet there are pieces of that culture that I am thankful to not have as part of my own.

The description of the leading photo by Nathan Sawaya, The Art of the Brick

Interestingly enough, there is a fourth shape that enters this discussion. If a child (in their developmental years such as our two youngest were), follows his or her parents from Circle Country to Square Society, he or she will become — not a Triangle Tenant, like the adult parent, but a Star. They will be a Star with multiple points of reference when considering where they are from, what they believe in, what foods they like, and how they see the world.

They will always be Stars.

What do you think? Does this help to put into real terms what it’s like to enter and re-enter different cultures?

I’m happy to be a Triangle and all shapes are welcome at the playground, but it’s nice to have some solid ways to view the process of culture adaptation and what it does to a human being.

Original Source: https://medium.com/repatriation-after-the-shipment-is-unpacked/3b9fd76169f2

Non-intentional Cultural Exchanges

Anyone who knows me knows what a nut I am for intercultural exchanges. I've basically framed my entire life around it, from studying abroad when younger, living and working abroad most of my adult life, and researching it in both my undergrad and master's degrees.  I love learning about cultures and figuring out which parts of each new culture that I encounter I'd like to adapt to create my own unique way of interacting with the world. 

And while I enjoy a good book/movie/lecture on the topic, I sometimes forget that the smallest of exchanges are sometimes the most powerful.  I was pleasantly reminded of this as I went about my  seemingly ordinary errands over the past 24 hours. 

Last night, I ran into the local market to buy some chocolate and toilet paper (you know, the essentials to go with the wine back at home) on my way down to my soccer game.  As I went to pay, the friendly face behind the counter (we all know each other in this town, and I love that) asked me, "Amiga, what's your last name?" (He actually said the entire thing in Spanish but you get the point I'm making here).  I told him, to which he replied, and your other last name? I told him I only had one and that most people in the United States only have their father's last name.  He then asked, "But what happens to your mom's last name, then?" This then lead to an entire discussion about lineage dying out, cultural norms, etc.  and the ironic fact that while most Latino cultures are considered more "Machismo" than American culture, yet Latino culture preserves both the mother's and father's last names for children while traditional American culture loses the moms and only takes the dads.  Food for thought..... 


(only inteded as a minor joke, not to provoke a debate on machismo....)

Then, this morning, I made my way down to the soccer field to work out and train with Loki.  I probably enjoy the quiet and solitude of the field in the morning as much as I enjoy the workout.  So, upon spotting an entire class of school kids playing soccer as I approached, I hesitated and almost sought a new spot.  I decided to stick with it, and am glad I did.  As I began my workout, I looked out and noticed that all of the girls were sitting on the sidelines while the boys (and 2 male teachers) played.  I continued to work out when 4 of the little girls ran across the entire field to visit me.  This 4 quickly turned into 17, yes 17 girls and boys joining in on my workout (my dad always said I was like the pied piper or kids and dogs). 



I had them doing squat jumps, burpees, and "letter shapes with our bodies" (aka Yoga T poses--sorry, you can take the girl out of teaching but not the teacher out of the girl).  So, thanks to me, there is a new group of indigenous children trained in parts of Body Pump classes from the YMCA.  It was such a fun, impromptu morning and I loved every minute of it! Even better when I ran into one of the girls a few hours later in town and she shyly said, "We'll be on the field again tomorrow, will you?"  This just might be the motivation I need to get my butt down there in the mornings  :)