Starting Over

In moving back to America, we didn't just settle back in our old hometown to people and places we knew. We moved to Washington DC where everything is unfamiliar and exciting. I didn't realize just how exciting until I took my kids to the grocery store. We walked to get there, because that's what we like to do, and arrived at a food wonderland with only four cars parked outside. In every aisle, the kids were exclaiming, "Look at this!" or "OOOOOoooo, they have those!" We indulged in things like sweet strawberries, packets of oatmeal, and a gallon jug of chocolate milk for only $4.59. That afternoon, we hopped in the car to discover the local library. My younger ones don't remember the library at all and again I was met with faces saying, "Really? We can take these books home?" One mistakenly cut out a template page in the back of a craft book because she thought all books that enter our home are "ours".

Before we left for Moscow, instead of storing anything, we sold all of our furniture and vehicles. After our current arrival back in the US, we bought a ten-year-old vehicle and our kids think it's the coolest thing ever! Honestly, compared to the 1993 Astro van we drove in Moscow, it's definitely an improvement. Last night we took the city bus to the mall. We were all amazed how much it didn't smell. Yay for public transit.

Now the downside. We have been sleeping on air mattresses. There wasn't a dinner table, chairs, or couches when we moved in. I didn't have to live this way when we went overseas because government housing provides all of your furniture. Don't misunderstand, I don't really want Drexel Heritage French Colonial right now, but a couch would be nice. This led to dumpster diving. We found two amazing patio chairs and an ottoman outside the trash chute at our apartment. The kids quickly grabbed rags and we took turns sitting in the reclining lawn seats in the living room. I feel 19 again. A few weeks and several Craigslist negotiations later, we have some beds and some chairs. It's not complete but we're getting there.

Another funny thing about America. Each store has a discount card that fits on your keyring. I'm actually enjoying getting one at every store. It's good practice to remember my address and feel like I'm part of this locale. So far I've collected one at the supermarket, one at the auto store, and one from the library. I wonder where I'll get one next.