Cambios de hábitos

I have been getting really sentimental and nostalgic these past weeks, because not only am I approaching the year mark, but also my birthday is on Monday! I have always felt like birthdays are an individual’s true New Year, and I like taking time to reflect on where my past year on this earth has brought me. (ppssssstt!...it's been intense, in a good way.)

There are the big, obvious, “I moved to South America,” type of changes. But there are also everyday routines and habits that I hardly think about, and many of mine have changed quite a bit. I wouldn’t so much call them “lifestyle changes” as “reality changes.” A lifestyle change is choosing to become a vegetarian. A reality change is no longer having access to meat. I realize that some changes were so natural and fast due to where I am that I probably haven’t even considered recounting them to people back home.

So, in case I forgot to mention, here’s a list of random things I do that I never used to (or visa versa), but are now part of my average everyday life.  

1.    I buy bottled water

In the U.S. I only bought bottled water if I was caught away from home without my Nalgene bottle. I always brought a reusable bottle with me wherever I went and filled up wherever I could-- if that meant filling up on water in a gas station bathroom, so be it. However, tap water isn’t safe to drink here, so I have to plan well ahead of time by boiling water and then putting it in a clean container to cool down. And, well, I get thirsty. So I buy bottled water. Which leads into another problem…

2. I don’t recycle….YET!

I recycled at home, I recycled at work, I even recycled at restaurants (yeah, Oregon is pretty awesome like that). Recycling everything became second nature for me. I sometimes got so anal about it I would dig through the trash to see what my roommates had unknowingly thrown away. While some parts of Peru offer recycling, it is not very well distributed or practiced. It always makes me sad to throw recyclables in the trash, but most of the time I’m just happy there is one since there are insurmountable amounts of trash in the streets. (Worse yet, all trash is burned. We’re all getting cancer.) I have been collecting all of my recyclables in my room in a cardboard box. The box is overflowing. I’ve heard of some places that accept recycling. Some day I will make a trek there and recycle all of those damn bottles I’ve bought!

3. I shower more often.

I know…right? I think I may be the only Peace Corps volunteer in Peru (the world?) who showers more during their service than they did back home. They’re cold showers, but I’m lucky to have a shower at all. But, what can I say? You can’t train for a half-marathon and live in the heat of the coastal desert without showering almost everyday (God wiling there’s water, of course).

4. I don’t wear makeup.

Ever.

But, I have started using eye-wrinkle cream.

5. I drink soda—a lot of soda.

I would be lying if I said I never drank soda in the U.S., but when I did it was like a special treat—buying in Izze, San Pellegrino, or traditional root beer. Now, whether it’s a meeting at the municipality, a lunch at grandma’s, or stopping by to say “hi” to a friend, I’m offered a cup of soda. And you don’t turn down things that are offered to you. You drink the soda. And I’m now addicted again, like a skinny high schooler without a care... *sigh*

6. I have bizarre bathroom habits [Warning! TMI ahead!]

Even if I’m in good health, every time I go to the bathroom I check the toilet for worms after I do my business.

Oh, and if I haven’t told you this yet, toilet paper goes in the trash. The piping can’t handle TP intake without clogging. That’s going to be a hard habit to break when I get home. Also, almost all public bathrooms are BYOTP.

7. I hardly eat any dairy.

I love milk products. I was lactose intolerant for a year and a half in college, and it was pure torture. I’m gluten-free now (can’t eat anything with wheat, rye, or barley) and for me it is “easier” to be gluten-free than dairy-free. However, dairy is hard to come by in certain parts of Peru. Why? Well, think about how much space, money, and work it takes to raise a single cow. Cows are a sign of wealth. My host family buys about a liter of milk every few days from a family friend who has a cow. Otherwise if we want dairy we have to buy canned evaporated milk, drinkable yogurt that has more sugar than soda, or small amounts of cheese. (I usually opt for none of the above, and go for ice cream bars).

I only know of one place in my regional capital that has milkshakes.

I never use butter for anything.

It’s a tragedy.

8. I hardly drink alcohol.

I was no boozehound back in the U.S., but I did love a good cabernet sauvignon. I can’t drink beer, and that is of course the #1 beverage here. The wine tastes like grape juice. Decent wine is too expensive. But more importantly, it’s not as acceptable for women to drink as it is for men. Guy volunteers get pressured into drinking all the time—in fact, their integration almost depends on it. I, on the other hand, have little to no pressure to drink and my reputation is better for it. I’ll occasionally have a round with other volunteers in the capital city, but that’s once a month.

9. I use a knife, fork, spoon, and my fingers to eat.

Gone are the days of politely sticking food with a fork while cutting it into small, chewable bites. All you really need in this world is a spoon and your hands. Rice=spoon. Soup=spoon. Lentils=spoon. Egg=spoon. Meat=fingers. It’s that simple. Freeing, really. And say you get a little overzealous and all of the rice doesn't make it into your mouth? Well that's okay. It happens to the best of us.

10. I let spiders live.

In every crack and corner of my room, there are at least 3 to 4 spiders living there. Not exaggerating. I used to clear them away, but now I just leave them. I figure they set up shop there for a reason. There are a ton of bugs in my room, and I might as well let them do their job.

And one more thing…

11. I eat goat, and the occasional guinea pig.

 Ya know…that’s a pretty big change.