1. Bagels
and Philadelphia Cream Cheese. Wow. Such a simple combination of bread and
dairy but there is nothing simple about these two. I have missed you, bagel and
cream cheese.
2. Highways.
Oh the joy of driving down a wide, well-kept road at high speeds. Crossing
distances safely and swiftly. I am driving on one right now and preparing to
post this blog post online from my bus seat. Yes, my bus has wifi. Did I
mention wifi?
3. Free
high speed internet. Within my first 5 fours in the country I was sitting in
MacDonalds skyping my family. Connection fee? One small fries, thank you.
4. Shops
with sales and second hand stores. Oh how I and my wardrobe have missed 50% off
sales and clearance racks. Yesterday my sister and I found a coat originally
for $50 for $4.98. It didn’t fit either of us (we tried) but we bought it
anyway and donated it to the store’s clothing drive.
5. Deep
conversations about things that matter. Okay, we get these in Zimbabwe, but
somehow I tend to have them more in the US.
6. Variety
– in people, things and food.
7. The ease
of life. Go out and buy a coat. Get to anywhere in a new town using google maps
and a GPS. Plan a meal and go out and buy everything you need for it.
8. Good
coffee almost anywhere.
And, yet,
there are things that I have not missed that also came crashing back very soon
after touching down.
1. The
feeling that, even though my outside and passport fits in here more than they
sometimes do at home, I am a stranger here and that feeling of not quite
belonging in large groups of Americans is uncomfortable and sometimes hard to
deal with.
2. The way
I can’t help my voice changing, ever so subtly, so that people can understand
my accent a bit easier. My t’s become d’s, my r’s a little thicker.
3. The way
it is so easy to spend money here.
4. Too much
choice! That’s another reason my commitment to clearance racks (and
vegetarianism!) is so handy.
5. Waste.
Of food, space, money and the blindness to it.
6. Bad tea
almost everywhere.
