Goodbye to the country life and to Mastacani

I am back in San Jose, on USA soil. Whew. It was a long journey and tiring. 

After I woke this morning, I continued reading my travel book and it's a fictional novel about characters who live in English court and it's from the viewpoint of one particular character who discovers that she doesn't like the pretense and intensity of courtly life but she prefers the harder but simple and rewarding life that of a farmer. 

While reading that, I thought about my last 2 years in Mastacani. - While I would never want to say I was living like a peasant/farmer life there was poorer than my life in the techcenter of the world in CA, in the USA, but it's true that once upon a time, I'm sure the ancestors of the people living in Mastacani were peasants to the Romanian royal family.- I also found it more real and rewarding. 

Now though.....it feels like I was living in a storybook. The cold and hot, the change and hardship and beauty is something that is harder to fathom when surrounded by this industrialized cookie cutter world of the US.

I'll miss my vegetable garden. I tried making a deeper ditch to hold the water, like how I saw Croatians do when I was traveling with my family in August 2009.

Sadly, they weren't grown enough to be harvested before I had to departure.

I had to separate Kiki from Nemo. They're both about one year old now (so about 7 human years [Each year x 7 = human years]) and just starting to be more in love than just kitten fighting. I'm a bit sad over this, but I had to take my kitty with me. They both grew up together romping in the countryside, chasing birds and taunting dogs and running up trees and have always been together since childhood. 

Again, I couldn't leave her behind though and I do think she'll be happier being a city cat and be happy to be with me. Otherwise, I'd have left her with Nemo and in the country. 

Goodbye to co-workers at the mayor's office. I had lots of fun being there. It was like hanging out in a cafeteria or detention hall than a workplace often times. Which is all part of why that world seems so easily fictional now.

There were good and enthusiastic kids out there. To me, they seemed in general so self assured and self aware. I hope they all find happiness and stay healthy. I envy their childhood environment. Mine was very restrictive due to the nature of where I lived. I was never allowed outside to play with the other children and my surroundings was nowhere near as rich. While partially, it was my parents' decision, I acknowledge the dangers of my neighborhood too. 

Beautiful forest areas, animals, frogs, small streams and big meadows. Full seasons of snowy winters, leafy falls with warm wines and apples and pumpkin pie deserts, spring full of flowers (which children were forever giving to their teachers). *sigh*.... Maybe not moneytary, but they are rich in other ways.

And the freedom to do what I wanted almost whenever I wanted. I was just lucky that what I wanted to do was also what Peace Corps also wanted me to do.

I wanted to invite Jeanelle to my village to see the place and play with the kids, and it happened. Kids brought Easter left overs to share: Eggs, cake, soda, and etc... and we had a great time. 

I'll miss the support from teachers too. Usually, they were 100% behind me when I wanted to do something with their kids. 

I often didn't feel comfortable imposing, but I wish I had utilized that authority more often. 

There's more I miss of course, but it's best not to dwell. 

It was a great experience, a memorable one. 

For a girl who spent her childhood engrossed in her books, to get away from the mundaneness of suburban life, it was an adventure.

The cat's in the cage, and the destination's been reached. It's time to start living this life, and put the book away. 

Maybe in the future, I sincerely hope so, I'll be able to visit that world again......

As of now, I am a bit confused. Which world do I like better? Does it matter?  In actuality, if I could choose, which one would I choose?   ?