This Money is Foreign

So we're back now! After 30+ hours of straight travel, hardly any sleep and delicious ( ;) ) airplane food and airport coffee we have landed! I'm excited to be home and to see everyone and be able to check my email without the government turning the electricity off or Uma staring at me the entire five minutes but I will say I miss Nepal already. I realize this blog is most likely not as cool anymore because I'm kickin' it in Cincinnati and just talking about Nepal from here but just act like it still has street cred, okay? :)

I've decided I would really love to keep up this blog here and there, maybe throw in some stories that I didn't share because I have plenty I didn't blog about, but it won't be a daily thing. (Unless I'm completely in mourning for Nepal like I am presently) (Sam's boyfriend said it best at the airport, "Wow so it's like you two are breaking up now after Nepal?" Unfortunately, that's how it felt.) Anyway, I would also like to keep this blog updated as I keep in touch with all the friends from Nepal and especially with Danny. Sam and I went with Laxmi and her daughter and Danny to school on Tuesday morning before we left to finalize account numbers and things with the school and to see Danny there. That morning is a whole blog in itself that I can post later but let me tell you, there was no better way to end our trip. We were able to say bye to some of our Nepali friends and see all the kids at the daycare, and most of all see Danny in his school uniform with a huge grin on his face because he was finally going to school with kids his age. Danny's aunt and Laxmi and all the adults who know him, and who don't speak English very well, just kept saying, "Danny.. in school, very very happy." I can't explain the feelings we had seeing him playing and knowing that in just two days of school, he is already learning so much. It was similar to the feeling I had when is Aunt kissed us and called us Jesus (kind of funny but surprisingly I was honored more than anything) or how I felt when Laxmi cried three times the day we left because she didn't want us to forget about her and everyone and Nepal. Now that I'm rambling... I want to update this blog mostly because I want to continue to be updated with everything in Nepal. I'll keep posting about Danny and especially as the school year starts and our brains start rolling with ideas for fundraising for Danny. Although $200 (most likely is a little less than that for the next years) between Sam and I, even though we're college students, is definitely doable. However, I know some of you have already expressed interest in helping with Danny's schooling and I would really love to have everyone help. So please stay tuned for updates on him and hopefully pictures on here!

Thanks for reading and staying in touch, I hope to see everyone and share in the weeks to come. For you viewing pleasure here is a small and incomplete list of the "social hiccups" (according to Josh, another volunteer) I'm experiencing due to reverse culture shock coming home. I realize most of this won't make sense to everyone reading it but you might some of it amusing:

-I don't understand why I have to pay in dollars and not rupees and why everything is expensive.
-I was uncomfortable sitting in a chair at dinner last night, instead of on the floor.
-I'm so sad to know that when I say Namaste to everyone here, I will get weird looks, instead of smiles.
-It's weird not to wake up this early and not here the kids in the living room doing their prayers and stretches.
-It's odd to see people wearing shoes inside.
-Most of all, I don't understand why I have a cell phone and I've even forgotten a little about how to use it.

There are plenty more I could put but that's enough. Hope everyone is doing well!