Feeling Strangely At Home

So as all the horror stories before me have told, our trip here was quite interesting, and is also finally over. The excitement has brought us all back to life despite extreme lack of sleep and sudden (but well expected) heat. One thing in particular has really caught my attention, and I can't help but laugh every time I see it: so many things here remind me of home.

For those who don't know, I'm a bit unique in this group because I am originally from Santa Barbara, California. So my travels in college have constantly led me to new environments (like these things called "seasons") and new people (still working on deciphering the many dialects of New Englanders). Yet, as our plane was coming in to land, I felt as if I were flying into my tiny airport back home. The view of the ocean lazily breaking against a relatively flat but green coast, followed rather quickly by a sudden mountain range, confused me and excited me all at once. Then, while driving to our amazing villa, we passed large intricate buildings nestled into the hillside, and as we circled down the mountain leading to Port of Spain, we could see the neighborhoods hidden in the hills overlooking the city by the sea. As our driver talked, I continued to note similarities in climate as well: A drought that has been causing endless brush-fires, mountain sides that are sad and brown (as opposed to their usual year-round green glory) and even the constant threat of earthquakes was a familiar notion. I'm basically in shock, and can't help but laugh. Plus, palm trees. There are palm trees everywhere.

One of the main reasons I chose to join this trip was to expand my horizons, continue to find new places. Now, while I have found many new things here as well, I find myself in comfortable familiar surroundings, and perhaps this will help me truly grasp how small this world really is. I can't wait.