Since We've Been Back

Since we've been back...

• We've indulged in Ikea a little too much. The downfall of living close, but our house is finally furnished.
• We finally have our own place.
• Hal started his grueling program and I became an "accounting program widow," as they call us.
• I started my new job
• We bought our first ever nice tv (Hal justified it as a school expense since he can use it as another computer monitor)
• We used a dishwasher for the first time in a year and a half
• We dried our clothes for the first time in a year and a half
• We celebrated 4 years of Marriage
• We had an amazing getaway for our anniversary
• We went on a beautiful fall hike
• I went to see our newest tiny baby niece in Colorado
• I went to Mesa Verde National Park and saw ancient cliff dwellings (More on that soon)
• We drove in snow for the first time in what seems like forever
• Oh, we drove a car for the first time in what seems like forever
• We oggled over clothes and furniture and gadgets and lots of expensive things we can't afford, but still love to oggle at since we haven't seen them to oggle over in a long time.
• We endlessly say "This costs how much? I Cambodia I could get that for $2!"
• Hal had to finally put on clothes and stop wearing his kroma around the house, because it got too cold.
• We use our kitty as a heater when our apartment gets cold.
• We've relished living in the land of plenty
• We've missed Cambodia
• I've started dreaming in Khmer

Things we've eaten:

• Acorn squash quesadillas
• Spaghetti squash as spaghetti with homemade sauce and turkey meatballs
• Tomato Basil Bisque
• Parson's (My favorite bakery) sugar cookies
• Kneader's raspberry bread pudding
• Homemade cinnamon rolls
• Yummy Pesto Chicken
• Homemade Tacos for days
• Lots of Halloween candy
• Pop that doesn't taste as good with all that nasty crap they only put in it, in America
• Homemade tortillas MMMMMMM

I think we're finally adjusted to living back in America. I think the final signal is when you stop caring about food as much. As a PCV food involves so much of your life. Making something yourself so you don't have to eat their icky icky food, gagging down some fishy fishness with plain rice while endlessly day dreaming of western food, and gorging yourself when you go into town. Food in town, and food received in packages is a big deal. When coming home you forget for a bit that you're kind of going to have an endless supply of anything you want, so you gorge yourself and you stock up, and you race to your favorite restaurants, or to make your favorite meals. Letting go of that food obsession is what finally signaled to me that we're real Americans again, and we're here to stay.