Don't get me wrong. I'm enjoying life in Raleigh. And as I'm adjusting back to the American lifestyle, I've noticed a few differences that I've seemingly forgotten about, having been a US resident for most of my life. Some are funny, some make me miss SK, and some make me happy that I'm back in America. I'm sure similar thoughts and situations will come up in the future, so I'm going to make this a specific ongoing blog segment and title it 'We're Not in SK Anymore.'
1) In Amurica, drivers are to stay on the right side of the road.
—On more than one occasion since being back, I've driven on the left side. Thankfully, I was never on a terribly busy street or in any immediate danger. Turning onto roads and driveways are difficult for my brain to grasp, too. Before I knew it, I turned left and found myself on the left side of the road with incoming traffic freaking out at me. Oops.
2) Drinking and driving is unlawful here.
—As it should be. While I don't condone drinking and driving anywhere—as it is quite dangerous—the laws here are strict and you really have to make a point to ensure that someone will be the designated driver for the night. We SK people are so freaked out by the rules regarding this, that we're not sure whether or not the DD can/should even have one drink! Not to mention that you can't have an open container of alcohol in your car either. Click here for a funny {Conversations} regarding this very thing.
3) Smartphones are everywhere. And so are overpriced phone plans.
—I haaaaaaated that day in December. What day, you ask? The day we decided we should 'get back on the grid' and purchase phones and phone plans. For a few days, I refused to get a phone. However, Matthew insisted that I get one, so I did. While my smartphone is pretty cool and has been quite useful since we've moved to a new area, it was expensive. And I'm not digging the $160/month bill either. Not to mention that Matthew barely knows how to work his. What can I say? I miss my Digicel Nokia, or as I called it, my Digi. It was given to me for free from RUSVM in 2010, and it was a pay-as-you-go phone. The battery never died and it had predictive text. Every once in a while, Matty would put $10 EC ($3.70 US) on my phone, and I was good to go. If he didn't top up my phone, then I could only receive texts or calls. And if that didn't work out, all of my friends lived—at most—ten ish minutes away from me. If I couldn't call or text, I'd get a hold of them online or drive to their house if I had to (which was never necessary).
4) We have a safe car now.
—While it is an older model, it has working seat belts, windows that roll up and down, no rust, locks that work, and it got us from Michigan to North Carolina. I definitely do not miss risking my life just by being near the Green Machine/Green Destiny/1993 Lime Green Suzuki Sidekick Death Trap.
5) Stoplights.
—Ugh. So annoying. I was just telling Rhiannon today that I wonder how much of my life I waste waiting at these dumb lights. I miss round-a-bouts. They're cheaper, don't use electricity, and the flow of traffic is ongoing. However, I've been told that we have stop lights at busy intersections due to safety issues. But what about all those stoplights and stop signs at ghost-town locations? Eh?
6) People.
—Raleigh peeps are so warm/friendly/helpful/happy you're here. Kittitians were aloof/indifferent. But not all of them. I made some really great local friends while I was in SK and this is definitely not true for them. However, I just can't get over how welcoming everyone in Raleigh has been thus far. Feels good.
7) Weather
—This one is obvious. Michigan was cold and snowy. North Carolina is cold and sorta snowy/sorta icy. I miss SK's consistent sunshine. And the lush tropical foliage. And the ocean views. *sigh*
That's it for my 'We're Not in SK Anymore' segment...at least for now. Cheers!
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