So I (Ryan) got back to the US of A in the wee hours of the 3rd of July just in time for a big Independence Day party hosted by our friends Jeff and Jessica Stephens. Most all of our good Portland buddies where there and many were surprised to see me (Ryan), not just because I came back from AFRICA totally unannounced, but also because I have lost a whopping 36 pounds since shipping off to the Peace Corps back in late 2007. (Yes, I am the "Biggest Loser"). The party was great. It was awesome to indulge in American food (hot dogs, burgers and apple pie) and ice cold Oregon micro-brews (especially Deschute's Breweries Black Butte Porter, ahhhh).
Good ol' American apple pie. And yes, that is bacon.
Two thumbs up for hamburgers and pasta salad.
Me, Aaron, Mr. Jeffy and Mexico Matt (who happened to be in town on leave from Cambodia.)
The infamous Adam Stein confusing July 4th with St. Patrick's Day.
Reunited after 5 months!
After that, it was off to surprise Ryan's Dad at the coast. Needless to say he was quite shocked to see his eldest son, unannounced and so skinny. We enjoyed the day at Manzanita for Sonia's birthday, walking along the beach and having a massive "Big Burrito" from Left Coast Mexican restaurant. Oh, and a must-do dinner/beer at Manzanita's newly remodeled and our family favorite, the Sand Dune Tavern.
See my feet? Those are African tan lines. My sandals are in my hand.
Me and me in 30 years. I believe that is Monkey Face Porter in my right.
Of course, Sonia indulged in a little CHOCOLATE.
Then we kept the "surprise game" going on Mom back in Portland. She too was a bit in awe, but at the same time recognized her slender and tan son right away. Moms are good at that kind of thing. And it's always nice to go right to the backyard and pick blueberries off the bushes. Oh how I wish I could grow those in West Africa.
The other night our friends organized a little social soiree complete with pizza (from Portland's renowned Blind Onion) and a movie. It just happened to be the oh-so-hilarious "THE HANGOVER". Lots of laughs. A must see.
Pre-Hang Over at Pete and Alicia's.
The motley crew at the cinema.
Now we're spending the rest of the week in the city doing errands, seeing friends/family and preparing to head back to Burkina Faso in a few days to finish out our Peace Corps service. We've decided to tack on a few more months and will now be living the rural African dream until March 2010.
It'll be tough to go back to the truly simple life after having been back in the Land of Plenty (or Land of More than Plenty), but we're ready for it. It's a good thing that Sonia will be returning during the mild rainy season. She'll still have to re-adjust her intestines to the local foods, but at least she won't have to tackle 100F+ temperatures for a couple more months.
And that is where our adventure continues. Back to West Africa. Back to our little mud house with no electricity or running water in Burkina Faso. Home sweet home!
