We really enjoyed our trip back to the States. During the three week visit, subtle differences between there and our life in Germany kept popping into my head.
*Gas. It's something so trivial but makes SUCH a difference. In Germany we always have to go inside to pay, which means I dread going to the gas station because I have to get Tiago in and out of his car seat. In the States I found myself wanting to fill up with gas all the time because it's literally less than 5 minutes and you don't have to go anywhere. Plus, gas there is cheaper, and there are places to fill up practically everywhere. Here, I have one option within a 20-minute radius.
*Christmas music. It was fun to hear it on the radio 24/7 if I wanted. On the radio in Germany I can occasionally find a random Christmas song, but no designated stations.
*Credit cards. I don't think I used cash once while I was stateside. It's so convenient to swipe and go, and have a record of all spending online. I easily spend 100+ euro each month in cash, and it's hard to remember where I spend it all.
*Shopping. Speaking of swiping credit cards... there are so many stores to go to! Aside from multiple grocery store options nearby, there's a store for everything-- music, baby clothes, sports gear, dollar items, etc. And I can't leave out the buy-it-all-at-one-place options like Wal-mart, Target, the Mall... And on top of that, there's Amazon Prime, where the shipping actually arrives within 1-2 days!
*Mail. Packages come to the door. I ordered so many things online, and hearing the doorbell ring every afternoon was fun because it meant another package. Our mail here is delivered to the physical post office, so receiving packages requires me to drive on-post, take Tiago out of his car seat, walk to my mail box, and then go to the counter to get my package. Not to mention then carrying everything (plus a baby) up two flights of stairs once I get home. I'm excited to return to front-door delivery some day.
That's most of it. Oh, plus the fact that I can get a big delicious meal there for $10 if I want to. Eating out here is much more expensive. We have just under a year left living in Germany, and we've enjoyed almost every minute of living here. The traveling perks are pretty much over, since I'm hugely pregnant and don't want to travel far with three babies, but it's still beautiful here and we love it. These perks back in the States will just make it a little easier to leave Germany behind in 2015.
I had similar thoughts last year after returning to the states, in this post.
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