Some words from 2009-2010 RYE to Ecuador, Robin Smith on her return.

I've been back in the U.S. for seven months-seven months that have been in many ways harder than exchange ever was. I've only cried a few times (por fin no soy tan llorona! jeje), which seems like an accomplishment in itself. In total honesty, readapting to the United States is not exciting, not fun, and definitely not easy. But boy, it reinforces everything learned on exchange.

Here in the United States, even though we may not realize it, we live extraordinarily frantic lives. To-do lists govern our days, doctors' appointments are made months in advance...even the school calendar for 2021 has, sickeningly, already been outlined. If we are not on time for our commitments, it upsets the entire day. If we are stuck in traffic, we are furious. If we are late for school, our day is off to a terrible start. In the United States that's how it works.  Although it's difficult for me to say this, the planning ahead is not always a bad thing. It keeps people on task and doing what they are supposed to be doing. But that also creates stress. Yuck. Whether or not we returned exchange students like it, that's how society functions here, and we have to respect it (even though I secretly wanna punch the next person who mentions registering for the SAT. And that person who keeps freakin out about our Gov. test. And that person who never shuts up about Harvard).

It honest-to-God sucks having to apply the "it's not better or worse, only different" principle to the United States culture. Many times returned exchange students think it's ok to always be hating on the U.S. because it's nothing but the stupid old home culture.  Although it's perfectly alright if you want to hate on the U.S., it's a lot more rewarding to try to see American culture as different-not better or worse than your host country.  And yep, that's pretty difficult, but if you try take that attitude, you'll learn more about who you are and how you fit into the two cultures you're now a part of and get this, people (maybe even your poor parents) will start liking you again.

Don't completely ditch your friends-give them some credit! Yeah, it's frustrating when everyone's getting excited about a lame school Valentine's dance, when you remember that last year at the same time you were partying in Paris with teenagers from ten different countries or something. When this happens, try to take a deep breath, grit your teeth, smile and pretend you're excited. Even if it seems stupid, that's what you've gotta do to survive in good old Columbus, Ohio. And remember, two years ago you were getting really excited about that Valentine's dance, too.

Sometimes, though, you just have to let it out. That's when you either can go on a complete rant about American culture, your dumb friends, and how horrible high school is to your parents, or you can go to a fabulous Rotary Weekend, chill with all the overeager outbounds (how refreshing!), make fun of the crazy inbounds, and commiserate with your fellow rebounds. Don't lose hope, you will survive the next two years of high school until you can go abroad again!

For me the best part about coming back to the United States, besides the thrill of seeing my family and friends again (which wore off after about a week ), has been applying what I learned in Ecuador to life in the United States. As I've mentioned before, Ecuador is all about manana and going with life's easy flow. Ecuadorians tend not to take things personally, and when things don't go their way, just laugh about them. I love living this way, and it's quite possible to live like this in the United States. I don't feel stressed out, and when everyone else seems to be going frantically faster and faster, I love just going slower and slower like a Galapagos turtle (AHAHA I can't believe wrote that).

I also think it's really important for rebounds to find something to do that they love, hopefully with a connection to the host country that they can throw themselves into.  For example, in Ecuador people dance. People in the U.S... Don't even TRY to argue about that one. With a lot of luck, I found a salsa class taught by a Puerto Rican. I LOVE IT-especially when we attempt to move our gringa booties like Latinas.

In total honesty not a day, not an hour goes by that I don't think about Ecuador. I miss my host families, my school friends, the exchange students and Rotarians, the warm culture, the yummy food, the crazy parties, the awesome dances, the beautiful music, the colorful houses an indescribably huge amount.  I especially miss the weather right now because in Quito it's probably a balmy 70 degrees and sunny, while here in cold, grey Ohio we're at a frickin -5 wind chill with "snow" which is actually rock hard slabs of three-inch-thick ice.

To survive the nostalgia, it's best simply to remind yourself that wherever you may find yourself in the world, enjoy where you are, the people that you're with, and the moment that you're with them. If you don't enjoy the people that you're with, find people you DO enjoy being around. Don't waste time with people who don't make you feel good about yourself. Remember to focus on the today, not the yesterday. You lived each second of your exchange to the maximum--you can live each second of your life back home and wherever you are to the maximum.