*sidenote* If you do not have a direct flight to your domestic destination, you will have to retrieve your luggage and go through customs before continuing on to your next flight. Plan your layover between domestic flights accordingly. No, they don't re-weigh or make you pay for bags again or anything. I was very pleased with O'Hare's customs system, despite typically loathing that airport and avoiding it at all costs. We arrived late at night, which may have also helped us streamline through. In O'Hare, if you are flying United or American Airlines, right past customs there are agents to immediately take your suitcases for your and check them. Other airlines make you take them to the next terminal and re-check them. SO glad we had United, since I had a Boo in tow and luggage carts are NOT allowed on the tram.
We enjoyed almost two full weeks in California with my family, including Thanksgiving and my adorable nephew RyRy's first birthday party. We went to the tide pools, had lots of Auntie Shelly/RyRy time, and made the most of it. I'll have a post up soon.
A few observations thus far:
1. For about two weeks, my ears were assaulted by English being spoken everywhere. I'm still not tuning out background conversations yet and it can be overwhelming. I think the same thing happened when I got back from Korea, but I can't remember.
2. There are billboards and advert signs everywhere. It's pretty jarring and ugly. I think it is because Europe is more pedestrian, so you can slow down and see the shop signs in the windows, versus needing a tacky billboard to draw your attention when driving, like here.
3. Boo and I are drinking a lot less water now that I don't have bottles of sparkling on hand, and this needs to change stat. What snobs, right?
3. Boo and I are drinking a lot less water now that I don't have bottles of sparkling on hand, and this needs to change stat. What snobs, right?
4. I do not miss eating pizza with a fork and knife. Ridiculous. And though I haven't had one yet since being back, I feel the same about burgers. Seriously, what?!? Team 'Murica on that one.
5. I also do not miss having to go to an optician for contact lens solution. It's saline solution, people. Groceries should be able to carry the stuff.
6. I need to find a good croissant recipe and a good crepe recipe. Alice hooked it up with her Irish scones recipe, so tea time will be had soon with Boo. We love our tea parties. I'm also making mulled wine for Christmas.
7. Now that my kid is used to walking 3-5 miles every day, I have to keep her pretty active. This isn't a bad thing at all... except when I'm dying from jet lag/a cold and she isn't. I'm going to need to find an indoor activity for when The Cleve gets too cold to walk outside in the evening.
8. I haven't really lived at home since I graduated high school, but having been away so long shows me how important family can be. Not only for helping when I can barely move because I'm sick, but also for the love and support. John and I function just fine abroad, but that shouldn't diminish the importance of our extended family. Plus, he's still in Europe until just before Christmas and we really miss him :(
9. I've been away from John for 10+ months before when he was in Iraq, but Boo hasn't been away more than a few nights. California distracted her nicely, but every once in awhile she cries for her daddy and it breaks my heart.
9. When driving, it is nice to turn right on red again, but I miss the very few stop signs and far more yield signs of Europe. And I was fine with the roundabouts pretty much everywhere, though the French are incredibly aggressive drivers. I just found out John drove the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe, and I think he's bonkers. Here's an idea of what I'm talking about (though he did it in rush hour... not sure if more traffic made it more or less scary):
Oh boy, no thank you.
10. American shampoo and conditioner is better. Is it because I was using a crappy travel hair dryer in Lux? Or does the superiority come from the lovely chemicals in our hair products? Perhaps the climate (though I would argue it isn't much different than here at all)? All I know is that my hair was a frizzy mess over there, and it's finally back to normal.
11. I was greeted with 1,400 emails, plus 700 junk folder emails to sift through upon my return to work. Also, for my first day back, a case that had no activity since MAY had a filing. It's almost comical. I'm glad to get back into the grind, but the hour + commute is wearing a little heavy on me right now. Once we are settled in the general Cleveland area again (I'm in Canton with John's grandparents until January), life will be a little more adjusted.
12. I've managed to arrange temporary child care in Canton, long-term childcare in The Cleve, and a town home in The Cleve in the span of a few days. I need to stop making it look so easy, so John appreciates what a Herculean effort is really is :p Boo is already loving being in school. I dropped her off and she strode in without so much as a glance back. After four months of being constantly together, I admit I was a little sad. She also didn't want to leave when John's grandma went to pick her up that afternoon. To appease myself, I am going to approach it feeling proud that she is so confident in herself and family that she can take off into the world without a second thought. That is a valuable trait to have.
Oh boy, no thank you.
10. American shampoo and conditioner is better. Is it because I was using a crappy travel hair dryer in Lux? Or does the superiority come from the lovely chemicals in our hair products? Perhaps the climate (though I would argue it isn't much different than here at all)? All I know is that my hair was a frizzy mess over there, and it's finally back to normal.
11. I was greeted with 1,400 emails, plus 700 junk folder emails to sift through upon my return to work. Also, for my first day back, a case that had no activity since MAY had a filing. It's almost comical. I'm glad to get back into the grind, but the hour + commute is wearing a little heavy on me right now. Once we are settled in the general Cleveland area again (I'm in Canton with John's grandparents until January), life will be a little more adjusted.
12. I've managed to arrange temporary child care in Canton, long-term childcare in The Cleve, and a town home in The Cleve in the span of a few days. I need to stop making it look so easy, so John appreciates what a Herculean effort is really is :p Boo is already loving being in school. I dropped her off and she strode in without so much as a glance back. After four months of being constantly together, I admit I was a little sad. She also didn't want to leave when John's grandma went to pick her up that afternoon. To appease myself, I am going to approach it feeling proud that she is so confident in herself and family that she can take off into the world without a second thought. That is a valuable trait to have.
13. It's good to be back, but I am a little homesick for Lux as well. We made some incredible friends, saw some incredible sights, and have so many memories. Boo still talks about the Eiffel Tower, and the "sweet balcony" our apartment had.
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