Reading my last entry about grocery stores and how ridiculously overstocked they are, I thought I sounded a bit anti-America :( So I would like to clear the air and dedicate this post to the US and the reasons I love living here.
In no particular order...
-Grocery stores! Now that I'm getting used to them again I appreciate having so many choices and opportunities to find exactly what I'm looking for. Why settle for "extra butter" popcorn when I can have "movie-theater butter" popcorn?
-Doggie bags/boxes. The portions here are considerably larger, but even in Europe I sometimes had trouble finishing my meal. It's nice being able to take the left-overs home with me, even if I do accidentally end up leaving the box at the table or never touching it again once it's in my fridge (I have a tendency to do both... I'd say 90% of the time).
-Store hours. OK, if I had put everything in order this would most likely be #1. This is definitely something I took for granted before my stint in der Schweiz. I can go shopping after 6pm AND on a Sunday?! America really is beautiful.
-Air conditioning! Every building you walk into has central air and is usually set at a reasonable temperature. No more fanning, no more perspiring (doesn't that have such a nicer ring to it over sweating?), no more sleepless nights. Not only is A/C practically nonexistent in Switzerland, but God forbid you open a window to let in a breeze!
*I will admit, however, that I sometimes have trouble breathing now when the air/heat is on. Just have to get used to it is all! And I'll probably end up buying an air filtration system thingamajig.
-Entertainment. There is always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to see. And on the rare occasion that there isn't, well there's always something on TV!
That's enough for the list for now. I think it also goes without saying that my friends and family are the numero uno/zahl ein/number one reason I'm happy to be back in the Land of the Free. But I still love Switzerland! Both countries have their pros and cons and I wish I could combine the positives and create my perfect place to live in. For now I will just continue to be thankful for having the opportunity to experience both countries :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Supersized
One thing I've noticed and have yet to get used to since I've been back is how incredibly overwhelming grocery stores are. I mean, there are aisles upon aisles of store- and brand-name products. I remember the days when I could be in and out of Publix with an entire weeks' worth of groceries in no time. Now it takes me ages to pick items as I stand and stare at the vast amount of choices.
Do I want regular, low-fat, reduced-fat, fat-free, or light salad dressing? How about regular, double-stuffed, chocolate, mint, or peanut butter Oreos? (Double-stuffed of course, this is only an example). And when you finally do make a flavor/health choice, it takes another 5 minutes to pick a brand. And oh goodness, WHAT SIZE?!
I can't take it, I just can't right now. My first few times shopping I felt completely lost. I literally stood in front of the massive shelves of cereal with my mouth hanging open. I've always been bad at making decisions as it is. How in the world can I do it when I have so many choices? I dread having to go grocery shopping now. Or just shopping in general really (don't even get me started on Walmart!). I'm sure the feeling will pass as I get more accustomed to being back in the land of the supersized, I just find it funny that it never bothered me before. It was just how things are and I guess I didn't know any different.
*One more thing... produce. Or for me specifically- apples. I bought a few Red Delicious and they are twice the size (but unfortunately half the flavor) of the apples in Switzerland. That would be thanks to all of the hormones and other drugs we love to pump into our foods...
Do I want regular, low-fat, reduced-fat, fat-free, or light salad dressing? How about regular, double-stuffed, chocolate, mint, or peanut butter Oreos? (Double-stuffed of course, this is only an example). And when you finally do make a flavor/health choice, it takes another 5 minutes to pick a brand. And oh goodness, WHAT SIZE?!
I can't take it, I just can't right now. My first few times shopping I felt completely lost. I literally stood in front of the massive shelves of cereal with my mouth hanging open. I've always been bad at making decisions as it is. How in the world can I do it when I have so many choices? I dread having to go grocery shopping now. Or just shopping in general really (don't even get me started on Walmart!). I'm sure the feeling will pass as I get more accustomed to being back in the land of the supersized, I just find it funny that it never bothered me before. It was just how things are and I guess I didn't know any different.
*One more thing... produce. Or for me specifically- apples. I bought a few Red Delicious and they are twice the size (but unfortunately half the flavor) of the apples in Switzerland. That would be thanks to all of the hormones and other drugs we love to pump into our foods...
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Job Hunting Blows
Frustration central. I have now been in Tampa for 2 weeks and still have no prospects. I swear I've sent my resume to at least 20 schools in the area and have only scored one interview in the process. It was completely last minute, too. They called and woke me up, then asked if I could be there in 2 hours (1 1/2 really since it would take me 30 minutes to get there). I haven't interviewed for a teaching position in the US in over two years, so it's safe to say that I was completely unprepared and blew it. Jon's trying to cheer me up by saying at least it's an experience and now I have some practice under my belt. But then I have others telling me that I don't stand a chance unless I have an in at a school already, which I don't really...
So. Maybe I should nanny again? It's not so bad and I actually kind of enjoy it when it's not mind-numbingly boring. The pay is obviously nowhere near as good as what I made in Switzerland, but right now anything is better than nothing.
Being a teacher sucks sometimes. There are a few openings right now because girls are getting knocked up, but it seems that the principals already have people in mind to step in as a replacement. So the question is, how do I get in their good graces? How does a person get their foot in the door if the door never opens to begin with?
So. Maybe I should nanny again? It's not so bad and I actually kind of enjoy it when it's not mind-numbingly boring. The pay is obviously nowhere near as good as what I made in Switzerland, but right now anything is better than nothing.
Being a teacher sucks sometimes. There are a few openings right now because girls are getting knocked up, but it seems that the principals already have people in mind to step in as a replacement. So the question is, how do I get in their good graces? How does a person get their foot in the door if the door never opens to begin with?
Monday, November 8, 2010
Road Trip!
Roanoke, VA--> Woodstock (Atlanta), GA--> Gainesville, FL--> Riverview (Tampa), FL
Travel time: 31 1/2 hours. Drive time: 15 hours
I convinced my bro to drive down with me so a- I wouldn't have to spend 15 hours in the car alone, b- I would have a backup driver while I "relearn" how to drive, and c- I could put him to work moving my stuff! The drive was pretty uninteresting... We played a lot of rounds of 20 questions and punched each other during the license plate game. One thing I noted was how the further south we travelled, the worse spelling mistakes got at the gas stations we stopped in. My favorite was one that promised they accepted "both debit and critid." Seriously?
We were lucky enough to break the drive into 2 days, with a one-night stopover in Woodstock, GA to visit my dear friend Kristen, who has- since the last time we saw each other- managed to get both engaged and knocked up! Glad I got to see her and meet this man of hers so I could approve (which I did!). Her mom also treated us to a delicious dinner. I love Southern hospitality :)
On day two, en route to Gainesville to reclaim my furniture from storage, the skies opened up and let loose like it hadn't rained all year. Too bad for Jeff I'd decided earlier that he should drive... We managed to make it to Gville unscathed and the rain mercifully stopped for just the 15 minutes it took to load the rented truck, then we got back on I-75 and made it to Tampa in good time. Too good, in fact, because we got to Jon's house before Jon was even off work. And of course he was then asked to stay late as well. After sitting in his driveway for nearly an hour, he did call to say he'd remembered the code for the garage door so we could at least wait inside the house. And here I am!
Travel time: 31 1/2 hours. Drive time: 15 hours
I convinced my bro to drive down with me so a- I wouldn't have to spend 15 hours in the car alone, b- I would have a backup driver while I "relearn" how to drive, and c- I could put him to work moving my stuff! The drive was pretty uninteresting... We played a lot of rounds of 20 questions and punched each other during the license plate game. One thing I noted was how the further south we travelled, the worse spelling mistakes got at the gas stations we stopped in. My favorite was one that promised they accepted "both debit and critid." Seriously?
We were lucky enough to break the drive into 2 days, with a one-night stopover in Woodstock, GA to visit my dear friend Kristen, who has- since the last time we saw each other- managed to get both engaged and knocked up! Glad I got to see her and meet this man of hers so I could approve (which I did!). Her mom also treated us to a delicious dinner. I love Southern hospitality :)
On day two, en route to Gainesville to reclaim my furniture from storage, the skies opened up and let loose like it hadn't rained all year. Too bad for Jeff I'd decided earlier that he should drive... We managed to make it to Gville unscathed and the rain mercifully stopped for just the 15 minutes it took to load the rented truck, then we got back on I-75 and made it to Tampa in good time. Too good, in fact, because we got to Jon's house before Jon was even off work. And of course he was then asked to stay late as well. After sitting in his driveway for nearly an hour, he did call to say he'd remembered the code for the garage door so we could at least wait inside the house. And here I am!
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