what i miss about the united states
when i was in ecuador brandy and i would talk about different aspects of “living in the US” that we didn’t realize were amenities until we went without in our ghetto guayaquil. things like “running water” reigned the top of the list =) hahahah…
being in the UK has definitely been much nicer than the stuff we put up with in ecuador, but there are still a few things i am putting on my list of “things to appreciate about living in the states”
they are:
1. street signs! yeah… no corner street signs here. instead, they just post it on the building on the corner of the street… well… on most of the buildings on the corners… well… you just have to look for it. i suppose no one really minds that there aren’t consistent street signs because it doesn’t matter - the streets change names every few blocks! i was on this one street that had at the least 4 different names in less than a mile. yeesh! so… i’m grateful for the street signs
2. stores stay open past 6pm. ooooh - this one was hard to get used to… the stores close at 6pm, and the restaurants stop serving food at 8pm, and the bars close at 11pm. back home, add 3 hours to that - 9pm for the stores, 11pm for food, and 2am for bars. in spain, i’ll be looking forward to hours even later than that! the good restaurants don’t even open until 10pm or later!
3. deodorant. HA! this one… yikes… especially when you’re in the “tube” (subway) during rush hour and the train is not air-conditioned, so it starts getting musty, and you can smell everyone around you… marlene and i have been taking 2 showers every day, once in the morning to get ready to go out and then another one after a day of touristing so that we can wash the city grime off us - and so she’s dubbed us the two cleanest people in london! =) hahah!
i know that there are other stuff that i’ve been thankful for but at the moment, i can’t think of them, so this list will have to do.
what things have you encountered in your travels that made you appreciate ‘home’ more? i’d love to hear about it!
First off, I’m jealous. I’ve always wanted to go to London. One day Laura will make good on her threats to give me the grand tour.
When I was living in Taiwan we had street signs but nobody cared which made for a very entertaining driving experience.
What I really began to miss in Taiwan was good spanish food. It was just impossible to find. I remember the greatest gift we got was from a family member of a fellow missionary who sent us a “do it yourself Tacobell kit”. That was an amazing meal that us missionaries cherished with all our hearts.
Posted by leslie on 07/02 at 07:46 PMI’m so glad you’re having a great time so far. I wish I had the cash set aside to go and do that. Since I’m trying to get a new job (and therefore hopefully have some downtime between jobs), I might do the same. Well maybe something more low-key...for now. Probably just something in the states. Go somewhere I’ve never been before. Maybe just rent a car for a couple of weeks and just drive around and visit friends & family. I’m sure I can save hotel money with that plan. Take a video camera with me and just document everything I do. That sounds awesome. Maybe I should ask for investors who are willing to subsidize my endeavor. Funny, I’m listening to Augustana’s Boston right now...maybe Boston would be a great destination.
Posted by on 07/02 at 11:39 PMOne thing that made me miss home: Mosquitos. Lots of mosquitos. Hungry mosquitos with a taste for American blood. I had to wear socks, even in 85 degree 90% humidy, because I feared of getting bit on the feet (by far the worst place to get tagged). I’ll take stinky, no deoderant natives any day over constant bug bites.
Also, I’m sure Americans have a “super clean” rep around the world. We just don’t realize how sterile and germ and soap concious our homeland is until we leave. I bet the world views us as borderline paranoid. Except maybe the Japanese. They’re on another level. Start coughing on a train without a mask to get a sense of what I mean.
Posted by on 07/03 at 10:09 AMHi Kimi and everyone!
There are many things to miss about the US when traveling abroad. I remember being in Costa Rica and walking through the heat in search for a drinking fountain. It wasn’t until I asked a local that I realized how ubsurd my assumption was! It seems that only in America do people feel entitled to free flowing potable water!
Here in DC the city streets appeal to tourists as the ideal town of america. In one week I could count the number of trash items I’ve seen on one hand. Stinky buses and cars are monitored with catalytic converters and even the subway is spotless. Sometimes it’s a little eerie, like when walking through the Smithsonian museums where everything is free and people in uniform are watering plants and picking up trash. In many ways, the Natinoal Mall is like Disneyland--full of crowds, things to see and do, activities, all of which need a map to orient you to everything. There are even people above the train stop standing by billboard maps to help direct you to your museum of choice!
I am really looking forward to the fireworks tonight.
Have you seen the bulls run yet?
I really love your photos of the London Bridge!
Christina
Posted by on 07/04 at 08:37 AMthanks for the responses, guys! it made me laugh to hear what everyone remembers… and how we see the world and probably how they view us as spoiled brats that make faces at their stinkiness =) hahahah
thanks for sharing!
Posted by on 07/09 at 06:17 AM
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