Kill my very first scorpion. I kid you not. I lived three years in a land known for deserts and scorpions and I had to come back to the states to come face-to-face with one. Such irony--almost like teaching the plus3 to ice skate in a desert land.
All irony aside, we have loved being back and hugging necks and catching up on life and laughs. We have eaten out and in more than is good for the waistline, but I feel like we're finding our pace now. Sort of...but I have yet to walk in a Wal-Mart so maybe I shouldn't speak too quickly.
I have experienced some reverse culture shock even without Wal-Mart. I'm kind of overwhelmed by how much people greet and talk to you in the store and the amount of enthusiasm they bring to a one-sided conversation in doing that. In one grocery store I felt like I was being stocked (ha! that is a crazy typo/pun that I didn't intend to do!) ahem, stalked by a worker who kept meeting me on every aisle and asking me very cheerfully, "How are you today?" After the fourth time, I really just wanted to run from the store.
There have been many learning curves--I've had to give several water fountain lessons to my kids on how to make the water work.
But there have also been many beautiful moments. Reconnecting with family, and just enjoying the love that so many have you poured out on us in welcoming us back. Oh, and I am loving the new drink machines in certain restaurants where you look at a screen with every known soft-drink and press one icon and then wait for that drink to magically appear in your cup. Makes me think of Willy Wonka--in a good way. =)
All irony aside, we have loved being back and hugging necks and catching up on life and laughs. We have eaten out and in more than is good for the waistline, but I feel like we're finding our pace now. Sort of...but I have yet to walk in a Wal-Mart so maybe I shouldn't speak too quickly.
I have experienced some reverse culture shock even without Wal-Mart. I'm kind of overwhelmed by how much people greet and talk to you in the store and the amount of enthusiasm they bring to a one-sided conversation in doing that. In one grocery store I felt like I was being stocked (ha! that is a crazy typo/pun that I didn't intend to do!) ahem, stalked by a worker who kept meeting me on every aisle and asking me very cheerfully, "How are you today?" After the fourth time, I really just wanted to run from the store.
There have been many learning curves--I've had to give several water fountain lessons to my kids on how to make the water work.
But there have also been many beautiful moments. Reconnecting with family, and just enjoying the love that so many have you poured out on us in welcoming us back. Oh, and I am loving the new drink machines in certain restaurants where you look at a screen with every known soft-drink and press one icon and then wait for that drink to magically appear in your cup. Makes me think of Willy Wonka--in a good way. =)
