Lightning with no Thunder

Being an Oregonian I am not accustom to thunder and lightning storms. Here in La Vega we have them all the time. My first week here I was so jumpy because the thunder was deafening and the lightning flashed all around like a strobe light. I was sure that if I left the cover of the porch that I was going to be struck! The family we stayed with had a few good laughs at my expense over this. Just this last week Eric and I decided to walk into the barrio during a lightning storm. It was off in the distance and we could hardly hear the thunder. The way the sky lit up was beautiful. We had no lights in the neighborhood so it would go from pitch black to bright and detailed.

I am becoming quite accustomed to the storms that blow over so quickly. Now I look forward to the storm and sit outside on the porch mesmerized by the flashes. It has only been 3 months and most of the time I feel right at home. There are times though when I am ready to go back to Portland. I miss my city and the familiarity. I miss understanding the nuances of life. Language/culture learning can be exhausting and seems to come in small surges. Some days I understand more than others. Some days the words come off my tongue without much work. But then there are those days where I can not get simple words out that I have known for years.

But then again I seem to have that problem in English too! :)