This entry might be a little obvious, but it's what is on my mind so I'm going to share it. I've just again realized how the surroundings you live in shape who you are- or at least how you live. I haven't been to the US since April 2007 and while I am definitely still American, I feel more and more out of touch with what is normal in the US. I lived the first 18 years of my life in the US and then in the last 11ish I've lived half of my time overseas. I think I wrote about how shocking the new US embassy is, right? I don't know if I mentioned that it had a sort of nostalgic effect on me- reminded me of high school and college and my dentist's office in elementary school. Sam just thinks it's the strangest building- he's never seen anything like it.
Anyway- in the past I've adjusted pretty well to time back in the US with a few strange things that stick out but then I get over quickly. Coming back from Tanzania- it was how much less clothing women wear (particularly on their legs) in the US. Coming back from Japan, it was how many overweight people there are in the US and being able to read all the signs and understand all the conversations around me. Coming back from Indo, it was how clean and quiet and calm walking in a suburban neighborhood was. John couldn't get over that one. I think coming back from here, I'm going to be hit a bit more strongly than usual because it's been a longer time away than ever before.
-I expect that it will be strange to see so much wealth everywhere- in our infrastructure (roads, toll booths, post offices, houses, random stuff we all accumulate)
-I expect that it will be stranger than normal to see so many goods and foods for so cheap (things here cost more than in the US- even locally grown stuff)
Every time I move, there are things that I look forward to leaving behind and things that I know I'll miss. Here I'll miss our friends, Sam's babysitter, and how gorgeous and green it is and all the great birds and lizards and bugs. I look forward to leaving behind the bumpy roads (especially while pregnant), these certain bugs called Furus that bite and leave itchy spots that itch so so so badly and from which there is no relief, the police and other government agents, and our Nigerian IP address (which gives us a lot of problems with online shopping and surfing some sites.)
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