We have been back in the Land of Plenty for a week now. I know it is the Land of Plenty because the backsides are much larger here on average than they are in the UK and because the grocery store here is about 400 acres in size. Emma, Lili, and I went to our local supermarket on Thursday where we found ourselves feeling completely overwhelmed and over-stimulated. I actually felt my brain lock up on the cereal aisle where there appeared to be thousands of varieties of flakes and puffs and o's. Emma and I scanned the aisle back and forth and up and down. "Where is the Raisin Bran, Emma?"
"I don't know, Mom!! There it is! No, wait, that's raisin-something else." We were struggling. My fellow Americans, y'all are completely spoiled for choice! I had forgotten there could be so many different kinds of cake mixes and cookies and crackers and juice drinks and, oh, the list goes on! I have now been to the grocery store twice. Both times I have spent hours wandering around feeling utterly bewildered. Don't worry though. I have no doubt that I'll be racing around that place like a pro in no time. I'm still an American.
I was expecting this sense of bewilderment. They even have a name for it. It's called "reverse culture shock." I have read about it, and I was prepared for it. After living in the UK for five years, I knew that the American lifestyle was indulgent and even decadent compared to much of the rest of the world. What I was not prepared for was being introduced to my former indulged American self from five years ago...
We closed on our new house on Tuesday evening. A truck load of our "stuff" that was packed up five years ago and placed in storage was delivered (finally) on Thursday morning. Wow. We had a lot of stuff. Living overseas apparently taught me the value and beauty of living more simply. I didn't realize that my values had changed so much. As I unpacked boxes and boxes of superfluous material nonsense, I immediately began to feel the burden of it all. So for the last three days, when I haven't been soothing a very unwell Lili (she is processing new American germs and viruses, it seems), I have been sorting and purging... all the while wondering, "Was there any kitchen appliance/ gadget bandwagon we didn't jump on??" How on earth did we survive in the UK for five years without the "Set it and Forget it" at-home rotisserie machine?? Somehow the new Meredith made it through the last five years with only a good set of pots and pans, a few proper kitchen knives, some nice baking dishes, an electric kettle and a roasting pan. We ate well, and didn't miss that George Foreman Grill at all.
Who would have guessed that the most shocking thing I'd come across after moving home would be me? Not I! I think this has been a rare opportunity. I am busting out all over the place with self-discovery y'all. Don't worry though; I will clean it all up when I'm done.
Love,
Meredith
3 comments:
I had reverse culture shock once...15 years ago...but I only left the country for 40 days, I cannot imagine what 5 years would do to me. Glad to have you back! )
You are totally right about how overindulgent we are as a country. We have way too much stuff (for me, it's clothes, but I am good about cleaning out my closet at least 3-4 times a years and donating to get rid of stuff I haven't worn in a year), but esp food! It's shameful how much food we have but esp how much we waste. We've been trying to eat less processed junk by eating stuff from farmers' markets, which are abundant in the good ole Midwest. But the asses here,esp in Ohio, are pretty wide. Perhaps it's the buckeye candies or all that cornhole they play around here :).
This is why I mostly shop the Whole Foods nearby. It's smaller than the Publix, and I seem to know most of the people who work there at this point. Besides, I keep buying the same 20-30 items over and over so if I go to the same place, I don't have to look too hard.
(Wait until you start reading labels & realize all the crap they put in US food that the EU & UK won't let manufacturers get away with -- or at least in the same quantities. I literally found shellac listed as an ingredient in a cereal bar once.)
Post a Comment