As I went through customs, all of the airport officials greeted me with "Welcome home" -- and it's crazy to think that they're right, I'm an American, I'm returning to the country that I call my home. After four months in Chile, I've gotten used to being an obvious foreigner. I'm used to people staring at me because I don't fit in, I'm used to having to work a little bit harder to make myself understood, I'm used to being slightly unsure about how things work. It's strange to belong again all of a sudden. No one looks twice at my blonde hair here, and no one expects me to have any trouble communicating with them.
I've only been here for about an hour, so the reality hasn't fully set in yet. I keep having to make the conscious choice to address people in English instead of automatically speaking to everyone in Spanish. When I fish through my wallet, it's filled with pesos. My computer is set to Santiago time and Santiago weather. This is going to take some adjusting.
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