Several weeks ago the kids and I decided to go visit my parents in San Antonio while Brad was speaking at his conferences in Virginia and Atlanta. It was so much fun being back after almost 2 years and sleeping in my old bed and seeing my dog, Celli, that is living now with my mom and dad. I had grandiose ideas of being able to drive on the right side of the road again, but after continued confusion, my parents and I thought it would be better if they chauffeured me around. My dad, however, did play games with me and drive on the incorrect side of the road.
San Antonio had never felt better to me with several days of the most perfect weather. And the sun came out! Oh, the sun that is not a consistent friend here in my life…I just soaked it in. The kids adored their time with grandparents and great grandparents and also their time in my parents’ front and backyard. That is one thing that we surely miss. I’ve never been a lover of Mexican food, but now that I don’t have it except for Old El Paso taco packets that really seem to stink up my house, I had strange cravings that were met by a night on the River Walk. Muy bueno! To no success I really wanted to buy one of those fluffy shirts worn by the waitresses at the authentic Mexican restaurant to wear back in Wales. I’m serious. I’d wear it!
Several things struck me as I visited the homeland that I had not expected. First, every time I saw the word “pants†in advertisements I just chuckled. That is really funny to me because here that means “underwear.†Also, the American toilets took me back a bit as I had gotten so used to our European toilets here with no center piece cut out and the low water level. It’s tricky sitting little kids up on those with the center piece cut out. I kept thinking the high level of water at my mom’s was going to overflow or that it was going to hit me. Another shocker to me was the huge amount of ladies wearing those jumpsuit/tracksuit outfits. I had worn mine on the plane because it was so comfortable, but I had felt quite self-conscious because here those outfits seem to be only for in your house. People like to dress up here. Little did I know that they have taken America by storm. Every single place I went I saw gals wearing them in abundance.
I could go on and probably get more serious, but it is so much fun living in one country and then going back and experiencing things I had always taken for granted. It gives you a whole new way of looking at things.
-julie
