soupy says

06/25/07 

Last night, after over a year in Mongolia, I departed for Beijing on a very late Air China flight. My parents and I just finished a 10 day Mongolian adventure together, and we were starting for part 2 of our trip. Excited but slightly nervous, I expected being totally overwhelmed by China after a year in the least densely populated country on earth. However, it wasn’t quite as intense as I expected. My first thought as we taxied on the runway:

“Wow. Those planes are big.”

I had forgotten that bigger planes existed than those that go to Chinggis Khan International Airport and its two baggage claim carousels.

And it really a bunch of little things:

“Freeways can be big and smooth.”
“These trees are so big.”
“Swimming in a pool is really wonderful.”
“Oh my God. Flowers. smell. so. good.”
“An Internet connection speed exists that is fast enough to enable me to actually download a podcast.”
“Different flavors in food than the handful of ones I’ve been tasting for the last year.”
“Fruit! Fruit! Fruit!”
My parents watch me react everything and don’t fully understand what I’m feeling. However, after their visit to Mongolia, they are a step closer. I am very thankful that they were willing and able to come and experience a little of Mongolia with me. We talk on the phone quite a bit, but you really can’t duplicate the feeling of standing outside a ger in the middle of nowhere and

Dad: So, there is their water barrel and a cart.
Stacey: *points the right of the horse* The girl said the river was that way.
Dad: *beat* That’s a hard life.

Or, again, standing outside that ger hearing the “do-do-dooo” of an 8 year old boy’s electronic game echo across the steppe.

Of course, it also has provided new opportunities for my mother to worry. She never knew before how infrequent I bathe, and that I’m basically hitchhike in order to get around Ulaanbaatar.

It is utterly impossible to summarize an entire of year in of my Peace Corps service in Mongolia in a mass email. However, my time with my parents, and my trip outside of Mongolia has offered me time to reflect and gain additional perspectives on my experience thus far. Before leaving for Mongolia, a statement that appeared time and time again in PCV blogs was “I learned more from [insert country of service] than they learned from me.” I totally understand that now. Before my service, I interpreted that statement as a criticism against Peace Corps. But it’s not. I do not believe it is possible for me give all that I have received from my experience. And I still have a year to go.

So, what have you been up to? Seen any good movies lately? What about good books? What music am I missing? What’s on Top 40? I’m not being facetious. Intense introspection doesn’t happen everyday. A lot of the time, I really do wonder about that stuff.

stacey