The bad thing about deciding to move somewhere for 9 months is that it is just enough time to get used to things in one place, and forget how things worked in another.
Here I stand... in that position.
I started noticing weird things a few months back.
One of the first things I noticed was that I no longer thought the car looked or felt weird.
Everything on a car here is opposite of the way it is in America. It's quite funny to watch people who come over for just a few weeks try to get used to this. You always walk to the wrong side of the car to get in. And as was the case when my parents got in the car to leave the airport, they started screaming at me to "get on your side of the road... we're gonna die!!!!" (no lie, that was as I was pulling out of the parking lot).
But, I've found myself trying to imagine driving in a car like I did at home, and I just can't recall what that was like. It's extremely odd. It all feels so natural here now.
I also have become accustomed to riding in a car without an air conditioner. Most of our vehicles actually have A/C, but I just can't handle it! I much prefer to just roll down the window. Maybe I have become dependent on some chemical that is released from the massive pillars of exhaust that billows from other cars or something... nonetheless, when I'm riding with someone that thinks it's cool to use the A/C, it just about pushes me over the edge! Yesterday, I was wearing long-sleeves in a car and the person driving had on the A/C, and I felt like crying.
It has also happened with the little, insignificant things. For instance, the first time I tasted milk here, I nearly upchucked! It tasted horrible. So, as a result, I decided that I was only going to use milk to cook with and put in my coffee and tea. Then, a few weeks ago, I came across a box of Cocoa-Krispies... even though I knew I would be going home soon and didn't need these kinds of luxuries at this point in my life, I just had to get a box! When I took my first milk-filled bite, I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted great! Apparently, my disgust for Malawian milk has passed.
Then there's the whole issue of sleeping. Just a few months before I came here, Sara and I had a conversation about temperature while sleeping (just random conversation...not as in - while sleeping in bed). I was very adamant about the fact that I have to have the A/C down low and the fan on high while bundled up in a big fluffy down comforter. She tried explaining to me how expensive it is to keep a place freezing cold like that in the summer... but I would hear none of it... I said that I would just have to make extra money, because that was non-negotiable! Now... I sleep with a sheet and the window open... not even a fan! I'm not sure I can go back to the other way.
I'm really interested in seeing how things are going to look when I set foot back in the big USA. Will I be the one freaking out about driving down the road now? Will American milk make me want to barf?
Unexpected uncertainties...
The other thing I will have to ask you to bear with me on is the fact that aside from Sara, my mom and dad, sister and brother, and my pastor Butch and Matt Chandler from sermon downloads, I haven't heard anyone else's voice! I never really thought about this being weird... but, I just can't seem to remember what some of you sound like. I also am not around a large quantity of Americans. I am getting much more used to the UK or Australian English accent now. The other day, I was out at a cafe by myself, and at the table right next to me was this big group of people from America. I sat there for an hour or so fiddling around on my computer and eaves-dropping because it was just fascinating to listen to their accents.
So, if I'm sitting in your living room in a month and you notice my eyes glazed over and a big smirk on my face... know that it's because I think you sound funny and am trying not to bust out laughing! And I will do the same favor you when you notice my conglomeration of many different accents that don't seem to resemble Texan in the least.
