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Reintegration is weird. It is like riding a bike again – but it’s as if I lent my bike to a friend who painted it, lowered the handlebars, and wore down the breaks. It is familiar, yet looks new; it fits in some ways but not in others; and even taking it slow, there’s a sense of an impending crash. And I have it easy. I have a communicative and supportive partner who welcomed me back with open arms. I have a job that I enjoy and facilitates discussions on travel and culture. And I have people around me who have also lived abroad and experienced reverse culture shock. Leaving Nicaragua, was not the end of this experience. I continue to learn from my time there and am met with new challenges. I had a different flow of life for a year, as did Brian (and my work) while I was gone; rather than resume exactly where we left off, now we must create a new normal. It is a great opportunity to intentionally craft daily habits and norms. So, I’ll get on my bike again today, though my sit bones are sore from riding for the first time in a year. Wait, are my handlebars too low?
Reintegration is weird. It is like riding a bike again – but it’s as if I lent my bike to a friend who painted it, lowered the handlebars, and wore down the breaks. It is familiar, yet looks new; it fits in some ways but not in others; and even taking it slow, there’s a sense of an impending crash. And I have it easy. I have a communicative and supportive partner who welcomed me back with open arms. I have a job that I enjoy and facilitates discussions on travel and culture. And I have people around me who have also lived abroad and experienced reverse culture shock. Leaving Nicaragua, was not the end of this experience. I continue to learn from my time there and am met with new challenges. I had a different flow of life for a year, as did Brian (and my work) while I was gone; rather than resume exactly where we left off, now we must create a new normal. It is a great opportunity to intentionally craft daily habits and norms. So, I’ll get on my bike again today, though my sit bones are sore from riding for the first time in a year. Wait, are my handlebars too low?
Reintegración es rara. Regresar a casa es como montar una bicicleta – nunca se olvida como hacerlo. Pero en mi caso, es como si hubiera prestado mi bicicleta a un amigo que hubiese pintado la bici, bajado su manillar, y desgastado los frenos. Se ve familiar, pero también nueva; me alcanza en algunas maneras, y otras no me alcanza; y aunque ando despacio, me parece que un choque es inminente. Y lo tengo fácil. Mi pareja me dio la bienvenida, además él comunica bien y me apoya. Mi trabajo es agradable y facilita conversaciones acerca de viajes y cultura. Y tengo amigos y compañeros quienes habían vivido en otros países y conocen el proceso del choque cultural reverso. Salir de Nicaragua no fue el fin de mis experiencias. Todavía estoy aprendiendo de mi tiempo en Nicaragua y estoy encontrando retos nuevos. El flujo de la vida había sido diferente para mí, pero también para mi esposo en casa solo (y mi trabajo). En vez de regresar como fue antes, ahora tenemos que crear “lo normal” nuevamente. Es una gran oportunidad crear, con intención, nuestros hábitos y practicas diarias. Dale pues. Hoy voy a montar mi bicicleta otra vez, pero después un año sin una bici, ¡me duele mis nalgas! Espera, ¿puede ser que mi manillar sea bajo de verdad?