Standing in the Immigration line upon returning to the United States it was strange to be understanding the conversations all around me. OF course we were in the Residents of the US line...
In Germany we had picked up some simple conversational phrases, but when on the trains or in lines at the stores most of the conversations going on around us remained foreign. We had learned enough to pick out a quite a bit of the spoken words (but piecing them all together was more difficult) and for the most part others conversations were just background noise. But yesterday while in line in Atlanta there were conversations all around me and it was almost to the point of being intrusion into my world of thought.
I then found myself ease-dropping into others conversations more like I was that fly-on-the-wall... it was like being involved (without actual participation) in many conversations with multiple people all taking about different things with a wide range of thoughts flying all around me.
I didn’t realize how much this would effect me. I felt like I was pulled in 6 different directions at one time, but in actually I was not directly involved in any of these conversations. They were just random pieces of information I became aware of as I made my way up to the inspection station.
Then when it was our turn with the immigration officer I had another language experience. The officer spoke with a Hispanic accent and I had problems understanding him. Having grown use to English spoke with a German flair this officers inflections were extremely hard for me to understand. And I had to ask him to repeat his questions to us. All the while thinking he is speaking English, right?
I am sure this weekend will bring to mind many other differences that we will begin to re-adjust to life at home but in the few hours I have been home the list has started to compile itself. Some good and others not so good.
The good of course will include:
Being able to drive across town to see family in a matter of minutes
Big Box stores and longer shopping hours
Reasonably prices shoes
Being able to read and understand the signs, newspapers and billboards
Not getting tied up in a an Autobahn STAU (traffic jam)
Only having to carry around 1 type of money
BIG parking spots
No BLITZERS
Some of the things that I will miss:
No more Autobahn speeds
The wonderful weather
Outstanding public transportation
The darkness of the night (there are so many lights left on here)
Saturday morning breakfast club
I am sure I will have many adjustments to make but know this is normal and who out there is not making daily adjustments to what life throws at them.
It is good to be home ~