They say “you don’t know what you have ‘till it’s gone”.
Who are “they”?
I have no idea, but whoever “they” are….I think “they” moved overseas at some point in “their” life!
Some things are obviously missed, rather acutely and rather quickly. Family, friends, your home and (as previously mentioned)…your Kitchenmaid stand mixer.
Other things take a little more time to recognise, but hurt in different ways.
-Like babysitters who know your kids and love your kids and almost act like it’s a privilege to watch your children (Thank you forever Kay, Becka, and Madison Kash….and others).
-My precious dog, Lola. Not that I didn’t miss her right away, but that particular pain has taken time to come to full bloom.
-Familiar/favourite foods.
Don’t hate on Starbucks…you hate because you have.
Chocolate Chips. I had an epic, and by epic I mean UNBELIEVABLE, conversation with no less than 5 employees at the local Pic-N-Pay trying to find chocolate chips…to no avail. (On a side note, I believe that chocolate chips may help the crime rate here….this is just theory, but also common sense.)
Corn Tortillas/Mexican Food. My husband has had some serious Chipotle withdrawals. I have heard him speak longingly about this to others. For a country that uses corn (or “mealies” as they call them) for EVERYTHING, it is a crying shame to be missing out on tortillas and chips.
I could go on…and on. But it will only make me sad and hungry, a dangerous combination.
Other things are not painful, and not very noticeable….until they SMACK you in the face.
-Postal service: Americans are so entitled to this basic service, that it almost never crosses your mind. Unless, of course, they raise the cost of stamps again…then WATCH OUT! Here, postal service is a mere “suggestion”. Kind of like STOP signs and traffic lights (another post, for another time). When we first arrived and for a few months after, there was NO postal service. The workers had been on strike for something like 7 months. Eventually, they worked it out but it was mostly unnoticeable. We received our first post about two months after we moved into our current house. It was postmarked two months earlier. I think we have gotten a total of 3 pieces of mail.
-“Critters”: After a month or two of living here, we were sitting in a park while the girls played on a playground. Suddenly, my husband sits up stick straight and remarks, “Have you seen any squirrels?”. In utter amazement, we realised we had not seen a single squirrel, rabbit, chipmunk or other similar ground animal the entire time we had been here. They don’t have them! I know it doesn’t sound weird, but trust me…it’s weird!
-Little Fridges: Here, they have little fridges. As a self-professed food hoarder…this was a MAJOR adjustment for me. In the States, we had a “big fridge” in the kitchen and another in the garage. As well as a large deep freeze for the frozen foods, also in the garage. And let me tell you, I STILL had trouble fitting everything at times. I am proud to say….I have adjusted! I was nervous at first. Like…”Oh my gosh, we are going to STARVE!” kind of nervous. We are not starving. But I do have another little fridge in the garage!!
I am ever reminded about my “First-World” mindset, and ever thankful that I have opportunities to challenge it! It’s humbling that it takes “little fridges” and Kitchenmaid mixers to do so….but sometimes…it’s the little things!
