At the beginning of the World Race, I remember one of my squad leaders saying that he loved the States. This caught me by surprise because I figured that after traveling around the world for about a year, I assumed I’d come back having quite a few dislikes for the States seeing the way the rest of the world does life. But now that I am in month eleven, I totally realize what he was saying. We grow up with cultural norms, some of which we don’t even notice, until we travel to a different culture. I am now grateful for more little things that are “normal” for our culture. To give you a slice into the past 11 months, I created a list of things that I am grateful for and things that I will miss about living abroad.
* Things I am grateful for in our culture/things I won’t miss about living abroad:
- Fresh air and trash-free streets and rivers. Wow, there is so much pollution abroad
- Not having stray dogs/dog poop everywhere on the sidewalks
- Washing machines….also washing machines that don’t have 18 steps and a wire to wrap around a screw in order to wash a load of clothes
- Dryers! Oh my oh my do I miss throwing my clothes into a dryer and having them smell clean and fresh
- Clean sponges and HOT water to wash dishes…oh and dishwashers!
- Toilets that have toilet seats and flush when you simply push the handle once (I swear someone stole all the toilet seats in South America ;))
- Bathrooms that are FREE that actually include toilet paper. Bonus if they even have soap AND paper towels!
- Food safety! Meat that is actually kept refrigerated and not hanging on a wire on the side of the street
- The waiter splitting the bill for you to pay separately when you go out to a restaurant with your friends
- Going to the movies knowing you will understand the language for every single movie showing.
- Putting groceries in my car to bring them home
- Actual, organized lines at the store – knowing that I don’t have to stand directly behind someone (in their personal bubble) or put my things on the register to be considered in line
- Being in one place for over a month
- Being able to go to a grocery store and not having to put your bag in a locker while you shop. (One time I had my reusable water bottle in my hand and was even made to put that in a locker!)
- Going to a bank!! And being able to use your debit/credit card ANYWHERE.
- Roosters being illegal within city limits
- Hot showers
- No soliciting
- Safe drinking water everywhere
- Not being stared at almost everywhere I go
* Things I will miss from living abroad:
- Having conversations with random people you meet
- Slower pace of life
- People/family mattering more than productivity or numbers
- The kindness, generosity, and hospitality abroad
- Taking public transportation (I really will miss taking the bus!)
- Being able to tune out conversations because you have no idea how to speak the language
- Experiencing other cultures and ways of life
- People’s openness to learning more about the Gospel
- Working with amazing people and organizations doing awesome things for God
- Not caring as much about what you are wearing or whether your hair and makeup are done (not that I looked like a slob abroad, but there is less of an emphasis on this in other cultures that I have experienced)
- Getting a chicken burrito for under $2 or a coke for less than $1
- Less processed foods
- Having a little extra grace when you mess up because you are a foreigner
- Worshipping God in different languages (I have loved when they sing Spanish songs that are also written in English)
- Being invited into people’s homes (most of the time who you don’t know or have just met) for lunch or dinner
- Trying random fruit you have no idea how to pronounce the name of
- Being able to ride in the back of a truck or fitting a few (or a lot) of people in a car
- Living in authentic community that desires to grow closer to God together
- Traffic lights that count down to the changing from green, yellow, and red lights
- Shopping carts that move 360 degrees – why America has not adopted these yet is beyond me!
