What We Miss About the USA

Last week we looked at some things we love about Europe. This week we take a look at some of the things we miss about the good ole US of A:

You Don't Know Until You Know 

Life overseas can be quite the adventure. Trying new foods, creating new routines, and meeting new people can be a lot of fun. But often when the shine wears off and the mundane necessities of the everyday set in, it can remind us of what we miss about home. When this happens even simple things that aren’t even that big a deal sound heavenly and we suddenly become incredibly thankful for the simple things in life. Here are some examples that we’ve experienced from our time in Europe: 

Free Bathrooms: We have literally planned our errands and nights out on the town around the availability of a free bathroom somewhere in the city. A visit to the bathroom around town can set you back anywhere from about 25 cents to a dollar. Most stores here don’t even have public bathrooms unless you are at a large mall. 

One Stop Shopping: You don’t really realize how convenient a Target or Walmart is until you don’t have one. Gone are the days of picking up supplies for a meal, grabbing a t-shirt, and heading to the medicine aisle all in the same store. Pharmacies here are completely separate stores and that’s where you have to go to get anything related to your health, including vitamins. 

Heart Language: It’s strange because you really never have to think much about the language you speak when everyone around you speaks it. The interesting thing is that when things are flipped and you don’t hear your native language very often then it becomes a very special moment when you do. It’s hard to explain but there’s something incredibly special about speaking to someone in his or her native “heart” language that brings such joy. 

Comforters: The popular bed cover here is a duvet. In fact, I haven’t seen a comforter or quilt sold anywhere… maybe I’ve missed that store. For those that don’t know, duvets come in plain white and are then stuffed into some kind of cover. It can be quite the challenge to keep the inside duvet at the same length as the cover. 

Top Sheet: If the lack of comforters wasn’t surprising, the lack of top sheets surely is. Because duvets are common practice there are no top sheets sold anywhere. Instead the bed consists of the duvet and the fitted sheet. I mean, I understand the idea behind it; it’s much easier to only wash a duvet cover than a comforter and eliminate an additional sheet, but you're also eliminating the comfort. 

Wash Cloths: That’s right, washcloths. The only washcloth I’ve ever seen or bought here is kind of like a mitten. Maybe I’m missing something on this one……. 

.Com: Once again something you never consider until you’re outside the U.S. and are trying to search for something on the web. Each country has it’s own “.com” so where we live it’s “.cz”. So if the same store exists in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, it is necessary to put that specific country's online tag in order to find it. Also, certain websites are not accessible (Hulu) through traditional means, and others (Netflix) contain completely different content. 

Free Refills and Water: Now, I will say that the mall here is now offering free refills at certain fast food chains in the food court. For the most part though, if you want a refill, you will have to pay full price for another drink. Also, I have heard that it is possible to get tap water for free at certain restaurants but usually you have to pay for water. It is often one of the more pricy drinks on the menu. 

Dryer: Again, some people have these, but it isn’t common and they can be quite expensive. The common practice here is to line-dry clothes after washing them which means one has to strategically wash clothes a little at a time unless you want clothes hanging all over the apartment. Oh how I miss the warmth and softness of a freshly dried load of laundry. Our towels are quite crisp line drying.