In no particular order, here are some of my first impressions upon arriving back in the U.S.:
Americans are so loud. And rude. And impatient. Ugh! (To be fair, it was NYC I landed in...)
The roads are SO wide! And everyone (mostly) stays in their lane!
Wind chimes (at the neighbors')...what is that noise?
Carpet feels so weird.
Our fridge and oven are huge!
The ceiling in our house seems so low - and therefore makes me feel tall.
Where is everyone?!!
Target has so. much. stuff. It gave me a bewildered and not-so-slightly overwhelmed feeling. At least I had my sis along, so I didn't have a breakdown or anything.
Our neighborhood is so calm and quiet...almost eerily so, compared to my neighborhood in WA.
After the humidity of the approaching rainy season there, California seems bone-dry (maybe that drought they've been having?). Everything feels dry - my lips, my eyes, my hands, my throat.
California has a lot more pollen. Probably because there's a lot more growing, even with the drought. And more pollen equals more sneezing, more itchy eyes and throat...
Everything - couches, pillows, my bed - is so fluffy and soft.
When I talk in English out in public, everyone around can understand (if they're listening). That's just weird!
I can use my left hand?!
Credit cards, dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines and dryers...do I even remember how to use them?
If I'm going to talk to a stranger, it should be in English, not French.
Taking a shower that doesn't involve choosing between running water and hot water? What a luxury!
Temperatures in the upper 70's do not warrant fans. In fact, I feel a bit chilly with the fans going here.
- - -
All in all, I'm walking around in a dazed, surreal sort of fog. My neighborhood, my childhood home, my family, have all changed so little it's almost as if I'd never left. But other things that should be familiar just feel so strange, so out of place, so...from another world.
My friend Jenn says it's like being in between two worlds.
Maybe she's kind of right.
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