Culture Shock

Returning to Civilization: Realizing you can have once again all the things you learned to live without.

I've been back in the Real World for a few days now, and I still feel odd. There are a few things that I'm remembering I can have. Some things I'm glad to be done with for a while, I need a break from pb. I have to remember how to act like a normal civilized person again.

1. No more camp food. I was so excited to finally be able to buy FRESH fruits and veggies! -I got burnt out on peanutbutter. It was all I ate for lunch every day, and sometimes with breafast. I am also swearing off dried fruit and bagels for a while. - And then at the store I remembered that I could buy more food than just what I could carry. I also had to run back when I recalled I could now buy eggs and milk and butter.

2. Now I have to look up more recipes because I now have ingredients to bake things, and cook good food. And I can use more than just one pot!

3. I also had to make myself use dishes and utensils. I got used to the spork/hands method of inhaling food, and just eating out of the pot to save dishes.

4. Not going to bed with the sun (or being woken up by it). Back into the dancing world and I get tired now. I'm not used to late hours anymore.

5. Funny thing about food. I have to remind myself when to eat, and that I can have snacks. When you're in the woods for so long, everything is rationed and I know exactly what I can eat each day and where I can give and take in my rations depending on the day. Now I'm sitting around a lot at the moment and I'm not on a hunger schedule anymore. And I don't have to feel bad about buying something to eat, because I don't have to carry it anywhere.

6. I took my boots off and shoved them deep into the closet. My feet are really happy to be out of those shoes for a while.

7. Wearing real clothes. I wore two outfits the whole summer. Work clothes & camp clothes. Now I have options, and variety, and it is possible to dress up again. I do have to remember to glance in the mirror before I leave the apartment though. A whole summer without really noticing what my crazy hair was doing (I just stuck it in braids and let it be) and it didn't matter that I wore the same thing for 2 weeks straight.

8. Language. When you're on the trail civilized talk has the tendency to just fly out the window. Especially because in a lot of situations swearing is very apt (as in yelling at a log that won't move, or when you fall, or when scary things happen).

9. My wonderful bed. I don't miss sleeping on the ground, although I love my big agnes. But it's such a luxury to have a real bed (and a real pillow- I rolled up my fleece all summer and used that).

10. I can drink more than water. And I don't have to filter or treat water. And plenty of it is always available.

11. Hot showers. (and soap). Anytime I want. No bathing in creeks or lakes for a while.

12. I don't have to ration the pages in my book. I can call people and use the internet once more, all I want. In two days I've seen hundreds more people than I would have seen in two weeks on the trail. I got used to working with only one or two people, at most there would be four of us w/ an occasional visitor. (Must remember how to have civilized conversations again, social protocals, and all that nonsense that human interaction involves).