This is a continuation from yesterday’s post on my thoughts upon returning to the States. I don’t intend for these observations (both yesterday’s and today’s) to, in any way, be derogatory or insulting. They are simply my thoughts, and I sincerely hope that they may provide others either with a common voice or with a factual account of differences between cultures. So here goes 🙂
1. Grass
I walked across the grass today. And it was wonderful. Not only was the fact that I was allowed to, and even encouraged to walk across the grass different from the mentality in most countries, the simple existence of lush patches of green grass is pretty unique to the USA. Yes, they probably use a lot of water on the upkeep of that grass, especially in the summer, but I really enjoy it. Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that make the biggest difference.
2. Dryers
After a summer of hanging my clothes out to dry, a clothes dryer is a welcome treat. You know how people say that you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone? This would probably be one of those things. Not only do your clothes dry a whole lot more quickly, you don’t have to worry about them blowing away or getting covered by dust while they’re drying!
3. AC (or air co as my European friends say)
My apartment in the Caucasus over the summer had AC, but I usually kept the temperature at about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The past few days, I’ve taken to bringing a jacket to my meetings, because, I kid you not, the rooms feel like they are around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s summer for goodness’ sake, we don’t need to freeze now!
4. Water
Tap water is safe to drink! No filtering, boiling, disinfecting required. Also, no need to buy bottles of drinking water, unless you really want to. Also, you don’t have to worry at all about running water, because it’s a given. After 3 weeks without city water, and using a finicky water pump, having pretty much an unlimited supply of hot and cold water is such a blessing.
That’s it for today! What are some things you’ve noticed since coming back to the States, if you’ve traveled recently?
Delectable 