First week back in America

Hello all...

So sorry for my lack of posting this year...I will try to get better!

I wanted to share a few funny stories about my first week back in America.

First I just wanted to say all the things I thought were going to be shocking weren't and then I was shocked by tons of things I wasn't expecting.

I was worried about going out to a restaurant and the waiters/waitresses coming around too often and them being annoying because honestly I thought that was annoying before I moved to Europe. But as soon as we left the airport we went to Abuelo's and honestly it wasn't that bad. The only shocking thing was that the food was out in 20 minutes and we were leaving the restaurant before an hour had passed. In Czech there is no such thing as hurrying in any situation but especially in restaurants, but that is because they view time with friends/family to be the most important way to spend your time, not getting things done. Of course that was an adjustment I had to make when I moved there and now I am adjusting back...nothing bad just different.

Since Abuelo's I have been out a few more times and the things that still shock me is how friendly and helpful the waitresses are and that we are in and out in less than an hour. The funniest experience was at Cheddar's. It was packed so it was REALLY loud (American's who are loud on their own, plus a crowd equals craziness)...but the funniest thing was that there were so many waiters and waitresses that they kept bumping into each other! HAHAHAHAHA! Because in Czech most of the time there is only one waiter or waitress for the whole restaurant...yes their places are smaller but still. Even if the place is packed like it was for the USA vs Czech hockey game or when we had a group of 40 people at an Italian restaurant. It's because Czechs aren't so needy/demanding and that's just the way they do things.

The other thing that happened during my first week was having to get gas. Now of course I had done this a million times before moving to Europe so this was definitely not something I was expecting to be a problem. But of course it was. I pull up to the station, I insert my card, do the zipcode etc. and it says lift nozzle and select grade. So I do that and it's the older kind where you have to lift the thing under the nozzle and then push the button for the grade you want. So I do all that but then it just will not start pumping. So then I put it back, it says your transaction has been cancelled blah blah. So I insert my card again and do it all over and it still won't start pumping. So, I decide the pump is broken they just didn't know it yet so there wasn't a sign. So I back up to the pump behind me. I do the same thing and again it won't pump. Keep in mind it's about 105 degrees outside so that definitely isn't helping. So of course by this time the person inside is making it not work and it's telling me to go inside. So I go inside swipe my card in there and he tells me to hold the nozzle up and he makes a gesture with his arm and I'm like, I'm not stupid I have pumped gas before. But clearly whatever I was doing wasn't working. So I go back out, remove the nozzle, select the grade and it still won't start. So I shove it in more kind of like the gesture he gave me and then it started. What the heck ever, no more Shell stations for me!

The next thing that was a shock was doing laundry. Over in Czech I only have a washer and it takes an hour and a half for one load and I don't have a dryer and jeans take about 2 to 3 days to completely dry. So, when I first arrived home our luggage didn't make it because we weren't on the correct planes (another blog entry is needed for that...it came 3 days later). Well, while I was waiting for my luggage I was thinking that I needed to wash the capries I had been wearing for the past two days but that I would need something to wear for the next day. Then it dawned on me that I would be able to wear them the same day because I had a dryer...yeah! So, I take those and a few other items that were in my dirty laundry basket and I put the clothes in the washer. Here comes the first shock. I STILL HAD ROOM IN THE WASHER!!! My washer in Czech is about 1/3 of the size of our washer here (probably all basic washers). I couldn't believe it. But of course I didn't have any other clothes yet so I just start the washer. Well, after about 30 minutes I hear BBBBBBZZZZZZZZZZZZ! What?? the first thought that came to my mind was "How is THAT clean? HAHAHAHA. Of course I know it is...it's just so fast! So then I dry the clothes and that is that. Well then when my luggage came I was able to wash all my clothes in 2 loads (where it would have been 4 in Czech) and they were dry...all in 2 hours...I couldn't believe it!

Another thing that has been hard is speaking only English all the time. Now of course I am not fluent in Czech...but I definitely converted to speaking Czech or Czechlish at all times. But to come here where no one understands any Czech it's very difficult. There have been a few times where I couldn't remember the English words and I wasn't even able to describe it enough for the person I was talking to to know what I meant...ugh...super frustrating. Things like ordering at a restaurant or shopping is really hard because I have been doing that in all Czech for a year. Also everyone talking to me and being friendly...that is strange...I have to use more English and it's just weird because Czechs just don't talk to strangers.

And driving...UGH. I am grateful that I have a car and parents who are covering insurance for me while I am here but I absolutely hate driving. I hate traffic, I hate having to be so alert all the time. I definitely love not having a car in Ostrava, and knowing that every single time I get on the tram I will get to my destination in the same amount of time it took me yesterday because there is never any traffic on the tram lines (unless there is an accident or construction, but that only happened 2 times the whole time I was there). Sometimes I don't go to things I am invited to simply because I don't want to drive somewhere for 40 minutes....bleh.

ALSO...just FYI people...I haven't been living here for a year...so when you ask me where I want to go that doesn't go so well...or when I suggest a general type of food or event and you ask me where it is...I DON'T KNOW!!! So yeah...kind of remember where things are, but not really knowing and having to get lost and learn again...super frustrating. And not knowing where to go to have fun or really having any single not busy friends...that's hard too.

Also I believe today is day 33 of triple digit temperatures and no rain. The heat literally makes me feel physically ill...and on top of not wanting to drive makes it really hard to go anywhere...enough said about that...

BUT on a positive note..it's been really great to see everyone and hear about their year...I have really great friends here and I am super grateful! :)