I’ve been hanging out in the US for a couple weeks now and have had a very relaxing time. I’m staying in Raleigh, NC, where my parents live. We moved here when I was in high school. I went to college here and I had my first job here before moving away for grad school. Though I haven’t lived here for a few years, I still consider it home.
Watching TV at Mom and Dad's in my pajamas!
After being away for a while, in a different culture, several things have really stood out to me:
On this trip, I drove for the first time since December of 2008. It all came back naturally – just like riding a bike. :) It’s so easy to hop into a car and get wherever you want, whenever you want, but I do miss walking like we do in Brussels. I had forgotten about drive-thrus, drivers talking on cell phones, and needing to pay for gas. I hope when we move back to the US, we can find a happy-medium.
In Belgium, we don’t watch much TV. At most, we usually get only 1 English show at a time and it’s usually something that aired in the US several years back. My parents have about 400 channels…and I was surprised to find out that it’s still mostly crap. I’ve finally seen shows I’ve only heard about – Glee and Survivor, not really a fan – but HGTV can still suck me in. I even watched a show on the History channel that claimed ancient Egyptians were aliens and dragons were spaceships.
I forgot how easy it is to shop in the US! The clothes fit and the prices are reasonable. Thank goodness we have luggage restrictions to limit us. I love that the salespeople are friendly and chat with me. I usually shop for clothes when I’m here, but I’ve held off knowing that my baby belly will soon be growing. I also can spend hours in a book store – thank goodness for used books on Amazon.com. I’ve perused a few thrift stores and consignment shops for baby items, but haven’t picked up too much. We’re hoping to go on a simplicity route, but it’s still fun to look.
Finally, the restaurant dining experience is completely different here from Belgium. As soon as you’re seated here, you’re served water! with ice! In a cup bigger than a shot glass! with free refills! The waiter checks up on you throughout the meal and you can take home leftovers. I was quickly reminded that tipping is the norm and noticed children are much more welcome in restaurants. Many Belgian places will not even have high chairs. Still though, I do like the relaxed, slow dining experience we’ve learned in Europe.
It’s been a great trip so far and I still have a couple more weeks here. I do miss my regular routine, and my bed (I’ve been sleeping in a single guest bed), but it’s great to get so much time with my family.
