Living in a Topsy-Turvy World

Four weeks ago I boarded a plane filled to the brim with American medical students and their pets.  I suppose all of us had the same idea:  to go home for a well-deserved Christmas break.  For some of us, ie. me, this simple vacation turned into a total mental test.

It all started at the airport.  Being surrounded by fifty plus American twenty-something year olds after living in rural Grenada on a modest stipend does not help with culture shock.  I couldn’t believe that this was what I was going back to.  I can’t really describe a particular event that threw me over the edge.  Rather, it was the culmination of a three-hour waiting period filled with observing interactions that are so completely different from the Grenadian norm.

Fast-forward twenty-four hours, I get to take my first hot shower of the year! Except, my body no longer appreciates the heat.  For the entirety of those ten-minutes, and every shower afterwards, my skin crawled and creeped, very much confused by the cranked up temperature.  Whilst I still complain about my cold showers (Grenada gets rather chilly this time of year), my body appreciates the return of normalcy.

Living in a small-island developing nation sure twists your perspectives on the everyday life.  I am so thankful to have been able to go home and visit my family.  My Grenadian co-workers have told me I blossomed like a flower while I was gone and have returned refreshed.  I’m not so sure about the flower part, but I definitely feel a renewed sense of excitement.  I have all of my projects for the year planned out and have decided on what’s in store for me in 2014 when I complete my service. So, 2013, I’m ready for ya, let’s get started!

December in Grenada.

December in the States. Loved the snow!