Normalcy

I'm just starting to realize how normal everything is feeling now. It's not like this is a strange place that I'm visiting anymore - it's where I live.

Yesterday during my sports class, I was sitting on the side of the canchita, watching my class and the neighborhood around me. And about 5 minutes later, I realized I hadn't been thinking about how different my surroundings were and inspecting all the weird signs and buildings like I often find myself doing. Instead, it all seemed ordinary to me.

I actually had to do a double take. I realized I had been glancing over an abandoned half-finished building, election posters so covered in dirt they were illegible, little stores that sell "bread, gas, and beer", and a canchita with only one basketball hoop. And I hadn't thought of any of this as different. It seemed normal to me.

A similar thing happened when I was talking with a friend online. He mentioned that cell service in his dorm was really bad. And at the words "cell service", an unexplainable little spark went through my brain. It was almost like the idea of cell phones were foreign and exciting to me. Even though I have one here, I rarely use it and can go at least a day or two without touching it. So despite the fact that I've constantly used my cell phone for years, the idea of using one frequently now seems foreign.

It's a nice situation. I still notice when things are interesting or different, so I don't miss out on new experiences. But I also feel comfortable with the ordinary experiences or sights I encounter everyday, and don't feel like I'm missing things from the US. When a moto driver starts driving down the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic, I don't get scared. When I get into a crowded combi, look down and see a box of chickens at my feet, it's not weird. I just shrug and laugh about it all.