There are a lot of things I've wanted to write about over
the last week and a half, but time is really getting away from me. So I guess
I'll just start with the present: the Fourth of July, Independence Day in the
United States of America.
The day isn't over yet, but my celebration of it is. And
today I had the most traditional celebration that I can remember for years. It
involved hot dogs and hamburgers and chips and potato salad and pie as well as
people wearing red, white, and blue.
I celebrated the day with several members of my
"cohort" here in Kentucky. It was quite different from my slightly
ironic Fourth of July celebration last year, when I went out for hamburgers in
Ifrane with a group of fellow Americans (although I didn't have a hamburger, of course).
We were all expatriates there. Here, I don't know what I
am. I am trying to move back to the United States, but it's more because I want
to find out whether or not I still
want to live here than because I know
I want to live here.
I'm lucky to have a friendly and inclusive group of
classmates, but the truth is that I often feel left out, or out of place with
them. I am experiencing more disorientation and culture shock than I thought
could be possible after only two years of living overseas.
I am experiencing this at every level. Grocery shopping
takes me forever. I'm shocked by the lack of pedestrians or bicyclists in this town
(and I don't think it's just because the temperature has been in the 100s [Fahrenheit]
over the last few days). I'm irritated by the number of rules related to safety
(today the pool in my hotel is closed because the pH is off). I'm saddened by
the ridiculous political divisions. I'm angered by the unnecessary costs of
healthcare. I'm disgusted by all the unhealthy food. I'm bored by conversations
about smelly armpits and leg hair. I don't know what this Magic Mike movie is, and I don't know when "frozen
yogurt" became "fro yo.” I don't know when everyone in the country
got a smart phone and a GPS and stopped being able to read maps.
I’m left now with a lot of open-ended questions and very
little time to reflect on them (which is another disorienting aspect of being
here). So: situation normal.
Happy Independence Day, everyone. May you be free to discover and celebrate your own definition of freedom.
Happy Independence Day!
ReplyDeleteI think today is a day to celebrate the freedom that the USA offers. Yes, there are downsides to living here, but that would be true of any country in the world. To me, the fact that "Magic Mike" has become such a big deal is itself indicative of the level of prosperity and freedom enjoyed by the vast majority of people in the USA. Think about Mazlow's heirarchy of needs - it's only when the basic needs are taken care of that entertainment becomes an overriding concern. BTW, the movie is about some male strippers, which means that I would find it idiotic.
Yep. I just want to sleep all the time because otherwise it's all so overwhelming to be back.
ReplyDeleteBut, I like to go extremes. When I first moved to New Orleans in July 2006, I volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and wore long sleeves and did roofing work. HOT? Doesn't begin to describe it. But I acclimated and never really struggled with the heat here like other people do.
So now? I went and shopped at Wal Mart. Really. Twice. (Discovered Chobani yogurt - that stuff's amazing.) And you know, it made Whole Foods not so overwhelming.
For me, jumping into the deep end makes the shallow end seem pretty great because I won't drown there probably.