la vida doble

Just read a post from La Vida Idealist that spoke to me. After returning to the U.S. for a short period to raise funds for the Nicaraguan non-profit she works for, Emily Mew writes about how she feels like she is living a double life in America and Nicaragua. Many of the things she writes about remind me of how I felt after a trip to Mexico in 2008 (and that was just a week long!). I'm positive that I'll go through "double life" syndrome when I get back from Peru next August so it was good to read about her experience. Here's my favorite part of Emily's post:

"For the past couple months friends have been asking me if I am having reverse culture shock. And to be honest, I wasn’t. Until, of course I walked into Whole Foods. I was overwhelmed. I wanted everything. And then I immediately felt guilty for wanting everything. And the more time I spent in there, the more crazed I felt: all the colors, the number of product choices, the piles and piles of perfect produce. This is why Americans are crazy, I thought. We have way too many choices, and we are denied nothing. These are the moments when those of us who have traveled through the developing world understand why others often resent our way of life. It is ridiculous. But on the other hand I can’t deny that I like having choices."

Interesting thoughts. Read more here.

P.S. $34 more was raised recently: one anonymous church small group member gave $7, my brother's college Christian club friend gave $7 also, and my friend's mom Cheryl Curran gave $20!

That brings the total to $824!
Still needed : $4,176
Countdown: 4 months, 16 days