Clarification

The plumbing in my grandfather's house was fixed a day after I wrote that post. So I have been enjoying flush toilets, hot showers and dishwashers. We were not snowed in without those things, thank God.

The ice on the roads is melting and I think we are going to get good Chinese food today (China Wok, the chain in El Salvador, is really awful) and see "Slumdog Millionaire," which is supposed to be a good movie...but the main draw is the main character, Jamal Malik, has the same first and last name as my brother. Now everyone thinks we are from the slums of Mumbai.

We are also going shopping so I can pick up American shower gels and snacks! I might even take a risk and buy peanut butter...

We had blueberry pancakes and real Canadian maple syrup today for breakfast. I am never going back to El Salvador. It's funny that my perfect day in America involves foods from China and Canada and a movie from India.

Seriously, my favorite foods and TV shows aside, I actually think it will be really hard to go back after this. Being here and talking to all my friends, and even watching the news and reading newspapers, is making me miss the fun, action-packed life I used to lead. Covering stories, running around newsrooms, following politics to the second, nights out in the city, Maryland sports games, musical theater...it makes me wish I had stayed and continued that frustrating job search. The Peace Corps is supposed to be fulfilling, but I have always felt that way about journalism too -- so what am I doing?

But at the same time, I'm already missing aspects of the Peace Corps. Hiking and running around outside, for one -- being snowed in has been brutal. Spanish, too (thanks, Mariana, for last night's refresher chat). And after our practice lessons went so well during training, I am super excited to go back and start teaching. And I know there are still two years of Salvadoran adventures ahead of me, and I already miss the other volunteers.

I'll just have to think about that when I board the plane Saturday morning...because otherwise I don't know if I'll make it on!