Still American

Welp. We're baaaaack! We have been in Houston for about a month and a half. We have had a bit of culture shock. I'll just spill a bit of everything that's happened and is different. Ok, to start it off, what is not different (whoops) is Dave's job. Dave has still not been put on a project. It is rather unsettling. We yearn for the feeling of at least two-year-long permanence. Not happening yet. Sure it's great that we're together nearly 24/7 but we feel fairly lazy. It's hard to get involved with any kind of volunteer because we don't know what our schedule will be like....moving onto that I still don't have a job. I had an interview on Tuesday that seems promising. It's not exactly my dream job but they pay $13/hour. Not bad! And they're willing to work with my school schedule once I start in the fall. Assuming I get the job. Keeping the ol' fingers crossed! At the same time I'm almost hoping it doesn't work out so I can get a physical therapy secretary gig?? I dunno. Just trying to do what works!

Ok sorry. This is nothing new for a 'returning American'.
Things that get me. GROCERY SHOPPING. Wow I like it so much more now. The stores are so much bigger. They have everything I'm familiar with. And I still haven't kicked the feeling of 'not getting too much at once'. I don't get anxiety but I feel nervous filling up my grocery cart because it's like- crap how am I going to get this into my saddle bags on my bike. Then I realize I have a car instead of a bike and it's like PAAAAARTY! Get as much as we need because it's all going into the back of the car. And then getting to the grocery line. Not feeling like 'please don't talk to me too much or you'll know I don't speak a word of Dutch'. I love it!! I love (ok, not exactly) bumping into people now because I don't have to try and remember some other language, I just say 'sorry' like the way it slips out! Also. Having your groceries bagged is WONDERFUL! I hated how slow I was and feeling like I was holding everybody up because I wasn't a professional bagger. One thing that has sure stuck from Amsterdam is take your own freaking grocery bags! I can not believe how many bags we've got under our sink from the times we've simply forgotten our own bags. What a waste! It is insanity to me. Yeah I feel kinda hippy dippy taking my own bags but at the same time I feel better about the trip and not wasting bags.

Sidewalks. What the heck Houston. Well it was more of when we were living with Debbie in a suburb called Sugarland. But anyway, there were places where there just wasn't sidewalk! I was on a run a few times there and all of a sudden there wouldn't be sidewalk anymore and I'd end up running through watery mud. It is just not a very pedestrian friendly city. Or bike, I do wish I could ride my bike sometimes!!

Wind. I actually like wind now. I used to HATE wind. Especially on the ol' bike in the frigid sea 'breeze'. Today on my run it was windy and I loooooved it. It's kinda like within a certain amount of exposure it's good, ya know!? And the rain, I really like the rain here. And we never realized it until we got to Houston but it almost never thundered and lightninged in Amsterdam!  We love watching those storms :)

Healthcare. Ok, I'm a bit bitter on this one. Dave had cancer about 3.5 years ago and therefore he can't get health insurance here. What kind of crap is that???  For simply selfish reasons I hope the Obamacare goes fully in effect so Dave can be insured! Why should those who need it most not be able to get it? I mean it's not just that it's ridiculously expensive or anything, he straight up got denied. That is bullcrap. That was through trying to do our own plan, hopefully if Dave gets put on a project, things will be different?? I don't know if that's how insurance through jobs work, but I sure hope so. It just makes me nervous.

Well that was a ballsing long one. Don't blame you if you didn't read it all, but this one's for you Allie Beans.