Well I have to admit that I don't have the greatest reason for the lack of inspiration of late. I haven't been overly busy or too bored or unstimulated to have good enough material...I guess I'll just file this one under reverse culture shock (RCS). Now that's a riot in and of itself.
The problem with RCS is that it's so unexpected and seemingly untraceable. I don't mean unexpected like that no one knows about it--trust me, we've been well educated. I mean it just kills me what things actually get to me...when I finally figure out that it's that that's been bothering me.
Stupid things even get to me. And when I say "get to me" I also don't mean in an incredibly bad way, but even the fact that it makes me notice it or think about it, yeah it "gets to me." Like the other day we were distracted as we were stopped at a red light and who knows how long it was green before we looked up to notice it ourselves. No honk. Nothing from behind. In Dresden if the light was about to turn green and you hadn't started moving you got a *nice* reminder. Yeah, it annoyed the heck out of us then. But I've noticed it's different here and so technically it's gotten to me.
It's all the little things: which brand of juice to buy, where to find the tuna, scanning the dairy section for whole milk for five minutes without any luck, driving a huge truck, (not to mention just driving everywhere), not necessarily shaking hands upon meeting someone, how to be a mom in America, grocery carts with only two swiveling wheels, tax, not sorting the garbage, watching LOST as it aired, buying $100 of groceries at once, only regular bread, 30 varieties of peanut butter, not having to calculate the time difference when I call my family in Canada...
I actually asked someone yesterday if I could send something down to Oklahoma with them when they went since I have friends who live there. I said, "Yeah, maybe you could just drop it in the mail when you get there," and only after I said it realized that I am indeed now in the U.S. of A. too and it will cost no more for me to send it from here than if they sent it from there. Doh. Too used to being all the way over there. Now I'm aware. Thanks.
I'll let you know when this RCS stops nibbling away at my sanity.
5 comments:
Being back home (in Germany) for one week now I went grocery shopping yesterday and I was so relieved (to know where to find the milk etc.)! I think I know what you are talking about. Not in the same depth - I am just scratching the surface...
Wow, I can't even imagine. Must be quite the experience. I always feel a slight diff between being down here at school and being back home... just little things that are really different and I get used to in either place just to have it changed on me when I switch locations. I can only imagine what the diff is like for you. Your change was a little more extreme than AB to AR!
I really hope you are doing ok. You do sound like you make it comical. But I just really hope you are alright.
I don't think I had RCS, but I found it very difficult for a while when we got here. And at times, I was faking it for everyone around me, (except my hubby), and I just felt like I was crumbling inside. How I longed to be back "home" in Lloyd. So I know, I can't fully get what you feel, but I do know it is hard on you. And I really do hope you are doing ok. Thinking of you! Looking forward to seeing you very soon, and spending time with you so soon! I miss the special times we had together!
I know they say it'll last a while, but comical or not, I think it's great of you to "let it out" once and a while. It gives everyone who needs one a heads up on what RCS is like (either for them in the future or for you right now) and for those who don't need a heads up, it's just entertaining reading I guess :-) You're in our prayers and those of the group over here :-)
I'm interested in how long it does stay. I haven't read any material on that - except your blog. So keep us informed ;-)
Glad you are able to let it get to you without letting it get to you too much.
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