Things I Miss About the United States

I was mentally composing this blog post last October as Allie, Thomas, and I prepared to celebrate our one-year Peru-versary in November. However, the Earth went through some sort of time-warp/worm-hole thing where November 1^st suddenly became March 1^st and no one knew where the last four months had gone.  So here I am, on March 4^th, finally writing this blog.

We get asked all the time what we miss about the United States. Besides our family and friends, it’s surprisingly not a very extensive list. It’s not that we’re US-hating ex-pats or anything, we just aren’t deprived or suffering down here in Peru. So here’s a list of the quirky things we do miss. (My community mates and the other volunteers in Tacna have been consulted for their feedback, or I’ve just written down what I’ve overheard them say.)

1)     Peanut Butter. Luckily, our families and other visitors keep us well-stocked with this American staple and we always have a few jars in the house.

2)      Carpet/Lounging on a carpeted floor/Walking around the house without shoes. All of our floor-related woes are due to the fact that our house has crumbling concrete floors that disintegrate underfoot and are impossible to keep clean even when swept multiple times a week. Carpet just isn’t a thing here because it’s so hot and dusty – most people prefer concrete or tile floors. Also, Peruvians are really superstitious about going barefoot because everyone knows that a whole range of ailments – from colds to stomach infections to strep throat – are caught through the feet.

3)      Having scenic places to go running. I think running in Tacna really tests a runner’s dedication to and love for their sport because it doesn’t get much more boring than running along the straight Pan-American Highway in the desert for miles and miles.

4)      NPR. Wait, wait! Don’t tell me you love NPR too?

5)      Podcasts, Ted Talks, and other good sources for interesting news.

6)      Costume parties (i.e. an excuse to go thrift-shopping. Which, for the record, all us JVs loved way before Mackelmore made it the thing to do.)

7)      Thai food and Mexican food.

8)      Coffee shops. Not so much for the coffee as for the “grab your laptop and meet up with a couple of friends and spend the afternoon studying in the coffee shop” atmosphere.

9)      Syrup. Pancakes just aren’t the same without it.

10)  Pumpkin –flavored drinks and food around Thanksgiving time.

11)  Driving. Not so much for the convenience of having your own vehicle (the buses here are really good) as for the “drive with the windows down and the music way up” thing. Also, listening to NPR in the car is the best.

And that’s pretty much it. Life here is really wonderful.