No one can leave home for an extended period of time and not find something that they wish they still had with them abroad. Although I'm well provided for and have access to mostly the same commodities and services I would have at home, there are aspects of "normal" life that I miss here in Germany.
The first point on my list is a very important one, a defining feature of all cultures and that is: food. Being raised on a mixture of southern cooking, Tex-Mex, and the general variety of foods available in America, I find myself craving a plate of enchiladas or warm biscuits and gravy very often. German food is nothing to turn your nose away from, but the comforting dishes I grew up on can't really be found here. The exceptions to that statement are the two restaurants claiming to be Mexican grills I found in Cologne. The one I have tried so far was a "Californian style Mexican" and I found the beef quesadillas they had on their menu were quite genuine. The restaurant itself was not in any way the strip mall shop with chipping paint on the walls and plastic table covers I know them to be; rather, the furnishings were modern wooden tables and benches that one would expect in the Cologne downtown.
Secondly, the ever-present gray veil over my head has made it clear that I am to be starved of Vitamin D until further notice. Northern Europe is a brutally cloudy and rainy area of the world. The welcoming, sometimes over enthusiastic sun that shines over Texas hasn't been able to find his way here. When I get home I do not expect to wear a shirt for a few weeks just so I can soak up every bit I can.
Lastly, I miss driving. The opportunity to hop on a bus or train every 20 mins to get anywhere in the country is a great thing and I have been using it to my full advantage, but hoping in the car and not just being a passenger is something I never got full use of. I received my license 3 days before I left so I got cut short on time to be behind the wheel. I have a vision in my head of grabbing my keys, sunglasses and wallet, pulling into Sonic for a Route 44 coke with lime, and flying at a legal 60 miles an hour along the bridge across the lake with the windows down and music blasting.
I have 5 months to wait, but the day will be here eventually.
The first point on my list is a very important one, a defining feature of all cultures and that is: food. Being raised on a mixture of southern cooking, Tex-Mex, and the general variety of foods available in America, I find myself craving a plate of enchiladas or warm biscuits and gravy very often. German food is nothing to turn your nose away from, but the comforting dishes I grew up on can't really be found here. The exceptions to that statement are the two restaurants claiming to be Mexican grills I found in Cologne. The one I have tried so far was a "Californian style Mexican" and I found the beef quesadillas they had on their menu were quite genuine. The restaurant itself was not in any way the strip mall shop with chipping paint on the walls and plastic table covers I know them to be; rather, the furnishings were modern wooden tables and benches that one would expect in the Cologne downtown.
Secondly, the ever-present gray veil over my head has made it clear that I am to be starved of Vitamin D until further notice. Northern Europe is a brutally cloudy and rainy area of the world. The welcoming, sometimes over enthusiastic sun that shines over Texas hasn't been able to find his way here. When I get home I do not expect to wear a shirt for a few weeks just so I can soak up every bit I can.
Lastly, I miss driving. The opportunity to hop on a bus or train every 20 mins to get anywhere in the country is a great thing and I have been using it to my full advantage, but hoping in the car and not just being a passenger is something I never got full use of. I received my license 3 days before I left so I got cut short on time to be behind the wheel. I have a vision in my head of grabbing my keys, sunglasses and wallet, pulling into Sonic for a Route 44 coke with lime, and flying at a legal 60 miles an hour along the bridge across the lake with the windows down and music blasting.
I have 5 months to wait, but the day will be here eventually.
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