Back in the U.S. of A.

No more scenes like this for three whole months.

After a hectic week of getting the boat ready to leave for three months, which included hurricane preparations, we flew back into the United States on the Fourth of July, which also meant we spent a little too long discussing why everyone had on American flag shirts in the airport before our sleep addled brains registered the date.

Vlad came home for a couple of days during last summer, but really neither one of us has had much home time in the past year and three months. And it's funny the things that are different.

For one thing, it's freakin' cold here! Every building is air conditioned to the hilt, which, believe me, I would have loved back down south. We did after all search out ATM boxes for brief respites from the insane heat. But, strangely, I guess we are now acclimated to the sticky, oppressive atmosphere that is the Mexican (or Honduran or Panamanian) summer because here I feel like I need a light jacket in the grocery store.

Personally, I have also found it hard to not throw toilet paper in the trashcan, de rigueur for almost every bathroom we've been in since leaving the U.S. Not to mention, my constant need to say "buenos dias" and "gracias" after every dealing with a store clerk.

And don't think Vlad has been spared a smidge of culture shock. He may not be having my toilet paper issue, but he did wander through every single aisle at the hardware store, picking up various items and saying, "You can't get this out of the country" or "Oooh, wouldn't this be nice on the boat." It took me close to an hour to get him out of there.

I'm sure there are much larger and more insightful differences than air conditioning and an abundance of electrical supplies, but we'll leave that for a more philosophical post. Until then, adios! Umm, I mean, goodbye.