I’m Back… No Literally, I’m Back in Wisco
Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. It has been a couple months since I have last posted. I would like to say that my super busy life got in the way and that’s what kept me from writing. But, I’m afraid it was my sheer laziness.
There has been a lot of events that have occurred since October 5th and I intend on filling you in on all the gaps you’ve missed. I think the easiest way is to release each event through its own blog post. So fair warning, the events will be out of order and most importantly, not be happening live anymore :( . But alas, I will be writing more frequently once again, so just stick with me!
Let’s rewind to Tuesday, December 13th… Taylor and I had finally landed back on U.S soil for the first time in half a year. First of all, why is it so cold here? I knew we were both in for a brutal reality check when we landed in Holland on our journey back. The moment I stepped off that 13 hour flight, the frigid air hit my bare legs and an instant shock was sent through my entire body. In other words, it sucked. Amsterdam was cold, but gosh Minnesota was colder. I knew in that very moment I might’ve taken the warm 85° weather and palm trees for granted.
Fun Fact: These Dutch tulips are actually made out of rubber!
Since then, we have slowly been adjusting to being back. I was debating on doing solid paragraphs about each aspect of life we are getting reacquainted with, but honestly, who wants to read hefty paragraphs. Instead, here is a tidy little list of things we are slowly but surely getting back into the groove with:
Weather: I am convinced we came back at the worst possible time. The day we came back there was a snowstorm brewing and the days to follow were depressing below zero temps and snow days… welcome home!
Driving: This might be the hardest thing we are getting used to again. Let me paint you this picture - driving in Southeast Asia (especially Bali) is like driving in GTA on the left side of the road on a scooter. Taylor gets into his very average Ford Fusion and goes, “Holy sh*t this is huge!” On our way to Chiptole (yum) we almost go the opposite way in a roundabout and slide on a nice patch of black ice. Screaming and laughing, we realized that driving was going to be a challenge and that we preferred the moped lifestyle.
Food: Full-disclosure, the first week I returned, I ate six bags of Ellsworth Cheese Curds by myself. It was absolutely glorious and everything I dreamed of (particularly the taco flavored ones). However, besides the curds, all the other food I have been craving since we’d left has been so subpar/underwhelming. I don’t know if my food standards have changed or my taste buds have vastly matured, but Taco Bell did not hit the same. It was devastating. Last thing, I feel like this is a very obvious thing, but I have now fully realized how unhealthy most American food is (yucky). I miss wagyu.
Daily Routine: As most of you know, I’m unemployed. It’s so boring that I think my dreams of being a trophy wife are out the window. I spend my weekdays not going to beach clubs or partaking in the island lifestyle. Instead now I have to be locked in a room all day, in the cold, looking for remote jobs. Someone. Hire. Me. Taylor on the other hand no longer has his days open and free. He is doing the basic 9-5 from home instead of working from 8PM-2AM like he did for the last six months. I truly don’t know which is worse, being unemployed or actually losing your daytime privileges. We will never know…
Jet Lag: Usually jet lag is a pain, but this time it did me wonders! The 14 hours we’ve gained back has made me less of a degenerate. I am like my 61-year-old Dad and wake up at 6am everyday. Whereas on our trip, I slept until noon. Now I actually have the full day to do whatever… well not really I am a slave to the unemployed job industry.
Grocery Shopping: INSERT PIC OF DIFFERECE Everything is so BIG. From the actual grocery store itself, all the way to the Heinz ketchup bottle, it is all massive compared to what we’ve been around lately. And oh how can I forget, it’s expensive! Shoutout to those that their parents still pay for their groceries - you are so lucky… go send a text to your parents now and say thanks for saving you from financial hardship.
Ope! You Betcha! As much as I dislike a super strong Midwestern accent, it is honestly refreshing to hear. I mean don’t get me wrong, the first person I heard say “ope” when I accidentally bumped into them at Hy-Vee took me by surprise, but it was nice to hear something familiar and oddly comforting. There were not a lot of Americans over in Southeast Asia! Another thing, I can actually read and fully comprehend signs. Although English is the universal language, the signs are not always in English. So it’s definitely nice not having to guess what words mean and not having to whip out Google Translate.
I realized that those were indeed paragraphs and not a tidy little list as promised - whoops. If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading, if not, no worries because we aren’t all readers (I am certainly not). Despite all these factors we’re having to readjust to, it isn’t too shabby. It’s been so nice to be home and to see all of our friends and family. And honestly, Christmas wouldn’t have felt like Christmas without snow!
The condemned gingerbread mansion (my Dad misspelled whoops).
