Reverse culture shock, take 2

Summer: USA Edition is going well so far. This is going to sound strange, but even though it's been a whole year since we were last in the US...it feels like yesterday. I compare this feeling to last year, when the US seemed like a very strange and unfamiliar place after two years away. Almost everything I encountered was full of the wonder of re-acquaintance or the awkwardness of, well, not remembering how to do stuff.

This time around, I've been able to adjust much quicker. However, there have still been a few bumps along the way. The other day I drove through a construction zone. In the UAE, in a construction zone, you're pretty much on your own to navigate a safe path. Detour signs, adjusted lane markers, and human flaggers - you won't find any of those. So in this construction zone near my parents' house, I took matters into my own hands and drove as I would have in the UAE. Well, that didn't go over very well with one of the construction workers, and she let me know. I learned my lesson.

It's still weird to hear perfect American accents coming out of the mouths of all kinds of people. I'm still making a fool out of myself at the grocery store as I stroll through the aisles at a leisurely pace, like the food tourist that I totally am (I bought peanut butter Oreos today). And I'm still enjoying seeing the effect the US has on my kids. All the Gushers I they can eat, OH YEAH. In fact, last week when Jeremy asked the girls what their favorite thing about America was, they agreed: "Lucky charms and the trampoline."

Amen.