What Do I Do Now?

After two years of Peace Corps, I now dye my hair blonde.

No, this isn't the usual existential quandary post that too often finds its way onto this blog, this is a very literal question.  I was talking with my Grandma last Sunday and she asked me 'What do you do now that you didn't do before Peace Corps'.  It was thrown out so casually and pointedly that I didn't even have the wherewithal to answer it.  At first, I wanted to answer-'Well, I've been writing about that for almost two years,' but that didn't seem like a good answer to those with grandparent status.  It wasn't a good answer period.

It also got me thinking-What do I do now, that I didn't do before?  There's certainly a lot of things I do now that I never did before, which I'm really excited to never do again (pay my utilities at the post office, or really ever speak to the women at the post office again).  But I think the meat of this question was: What are the things that you've begun in Peace Corps that you'll take back to the US.

I don't really have a full answer to this yet-I suspect that's going to be one of those reflection posts that will become a dime a dozen as I get into my last month of service.  And I don't know if I'm mentally or emotionally prepared to write the 'life changes' list.  But I am ready to some sort of list.  So, without further ado

Josh's Very Shallow 'What Do I Do Now?' List

1) Floss.  In my early twenties I stopped lying and just told my dentist 'I don't floss'.  However, after living in a culture where dental care is not nearly as prioritized I have finally been scared straight.

2) Hand wash clothes.  Alright, maybe I won't keep this up in America, but man, being comfortable hand washing my own clothes will make travel so much easier-domestic or intentional.

3) I've expanded what I watch and what I read.  While in Peace Corps I've started reading fiction and watching movies-two things I almost never did before coming to Azerbaijan.

4) Cold showers.  Its not like my shower can heat up anyways, but in the summer, when you break into a full sweat by doing anything, a cold shower is less of a shock and more of a relief.  Healthier too.

5) Make my own peanut butter and hummus.  There are a few other recipes I'll bring back, but I doubt I'll purchase peanut butter ever again (I mean-they don't even include m&ms in it!)

6) Dance at weddings.  Azeris love to dance, and its a requirement to dance when you're called upon at weddings.  I never really used to dance at weddings, but oh man do I now.

7) Know the people in the stores I commonly go into.  When I figure out where I'm living in the US, I really want to be able to say hello, by name, to the people who work in the places I always go to.

8) Eat breakfast.  So I finally begin my day with the most important meal.  The secret to adopting this habit: eating the same, easily prepared thing day in and day out.  Its too early to be creative.