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Sunday, December 10, 2006

Going home?

I have a wittle bit of a cold. Booooo. Actually, it is much better after I spent yesterday in bed guzzling water and cough drops (and biscuits!) and marathoning the entire second season of the Amazing Race. The worst moment came from the tummy pain of too many biscuits (followed by the day before's pain of too many Jaffa Cakes).

As I was falling asleep, I was thinking about all the things that will be weird when I get to the US- at least things that I used to think were entirely normal until I got used to living here. Yes, knowing which way the traffic was coming from is a big one. I'm so used to looking right now. But, the best advice is always to look both ways before you cross Sesame Street. And shopping. Can I buy two carrots and five mushrooms at a time in Indiana? I know I'm probably screwed on the half loaves of bread.... And is everything going to be uber-uber salty to someone who's gotten used to a 1) a boy whose mother NEVER cooked with salt and who complains and refuses to finish my chips if I've salted them and 2) just a much higher awareness of the implications of a low-salt diet and foods that tend to contain a lot less than their American counterparts? Where on earth am I going to Walk? I don't think there's a grocery store within walking distance of my house, which makes me sad. And no buses! This is a travesty. How will I read? And, how on earth is someone with a really strict self-imposed prohibition on ANY drinking and driving going to participate in adult social activities? (Really, I hardly drink, but am worried that people will be offended if I tell them no.)

Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited to go home to my second family and all my wonderful friends, some of which I haven't seen since I left home (or before)! But, I'm worried about all the things that are going to bug me about the US. Will I end up regretting my decision to stay away for as long as possible? Will I be counting the days until I get back here? And how on earth am I going to cope with everyone around me having American accents...dude, they've started sounding strange on tv and in movies.

2 comments:

Lindsay said... Reply to comment

It will be exhilarating at first, but then you'll be counting down the days until London...trust me on this...lol

Anonymous said... Reply to comment

you'll get used to it. it's called reverse culture shock and it doesn't last taht long. some things will stay, i still say 'how you going','reckon' and 'oi'. a good thing to do when you get back is to tell yourself which way to look first. at least for the first few weeks, that helped me both in oz and when i came back.


as for the food....well you'll just have to adjust. everything in oz is richer and more well proportioned than here but i just had readjust. there are ways to do low-salt diets here.

the accents is just something that'll adjust back all by itself. it's a bit harsh at first but you'll settle back. promise.

hope this helps. let me know when you get back k?