Dress Your Best

When I prepared myself for living abroad as a Peace Corps Volunteer I went through my closet as I was packing my bags trying to take things that would be practical. Thinking ok, I won't be wearing those shoes or dress ( No matter what they say about all my sundresses.) People aren't going to care what I am wearing nor will I have to feel as though I am being judged by the clothes I choose to clothe myself with. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would have to worry about what I was wearing. I thought I was leaving behind a world of materialism, outside appearance, consumerism and advertisement. I thought I would be escaping all of that for a few years to focus on things that really mattered in this world. Somedays I wonder where I am? Did I step back into the world that I once surrounded myself with? Where was I? From my interactions with the Albanians I have known I have encountered this issue that I thought I was escaping. The questions range from, "Kristen what are those flip-flop things you wear? Where are your heels?", "Your hair is big today ( what they mean by that is, "Oh shoot you should straighten that mess! HA!"), " "Maybe you should wear more make-up" and so on. I wonder how can these people ( and everyone else) be so fixated on these ideas of what I am supposed to look like or wear. Shouldn't we be more concerned with why I am here.. 'TO WORK' than what I should buy to color my wardrobe. Please by any means don't get me wrong, I love to look nice get myself a nice dress and go out on the town. But when coming here I thought I would be removed from all those ideas and coming here I am faced with it all again. I just don't like when these things become so consuming. I will first and foremost be representable for myself, but I will not be consumed with the idea of what I should buy next and spend my monthly earnings on a jacket. For what? If I could live everyday in my yoga pants. I guess you feel that in some way this country should be so far removed, but they are influenced as are other countries. The good news is after one year of wearing black pants and skirts I wore my jeans and uggs. They all laughed, but hey I was comfortable.