Reverse Culture Shock

There are two things about being back here that are especially weird for me right now.

The first is how BIG everything seems. Not seems. Is. I keep going in to buildings and feeling completely overwhelmed. Just the grocery store goes on forever. It feels like I have to walk for miles.

I went to a furniture store yesterday and there were two chairs I was interested in - on opposite sides of the store. I had to keep going back and forth. The distance was equivalent to going to the end of my street and back. Repeatedly.

The second thing that is taking some getting used to is all of the "in-your-face" advertising and consumerism. There is nothing you can't get here. And preferably RIGHT NOW.

I realize there was advertising in France too - but not being able to understand it; or using it as a French language lesson made it a lot more palatable.

Here it is all-advertising, all-the-time. It is easy to see why the world views Americans as such rampant consumers. We are.

(Lest anyone get upset... I am not complaining - merely observing. I can't say I am upset about being able to get what I want when I want it without difficulty... I'm just noticing how easy it is).