In The Powder Room

Feb 20

Top five things I love about being home

Comments (10) by Lerner February 20, 2012 - 7:03 AM

• Tweet

I've gotten a lot of people telling me how envious they are of my move to practically-paradise from rainy old England, and to that I have to admit that really Northern California is just like England... if you take away the rain, and the grey and add in warm, sandy beaches. Exactly the same.

Now I'm just bragging, aren't I? To be fair, it was very rainy on Monday. I suppose you have to expect a certain amount of rain to sustain these beautiful redwood forests. Oh shoot, there I go again.

Okay, so top five things I love about being back in the States (and all the great reasons to visit):

1. Customer Service. The customer is almost always right in The States, and because of that you can pretty much have anything you want at almost any time of day. Somewhere, within a reasonable driving distance, is almost anything I want; and someone nice and smiley wanting to sell it to me.

2. Holy crap, are we a friendly bunch of loudmouths or what? You can complain all you want about Americans being loud and a bit stupid, it's just because you're jealous of how damn friendly we are. It's endearing and you know it.

3. I instantly go down 2-4 sizes in clothes. American companies figured out decades ago that we will buy more clothes from a company who tells us we're skinnier. I prefer being a size 6, thank you very much.

4. It feels like a giant half-off sale. My brain is still thinking in British Pounds Sterling, and that automatically makes everything I buy seem like a GREAT DEAL!

5. Everything stupid I do is easily excused by Silly me, I've been out of the country for four years! (Insert knowing guffaw laughter here.) I ordered a half pound at the deli the other day, looked at the finished product and thought, "That's it?!" Yeah, my brain seems stuck on kilos, but the counter worker was very forgiving (because we're all so damn friendly)!

What about you? What's your favorite part about living in/visiting/watching The States on TV? Or, what do you hate the most about The States, thus proving all of the above points completely moot?

by Lerner February 20, 2012 - 7:03 AM

• Tweet

• • 
    One uppers

    by Lerner March 19, 2012 - 6:03 AM
  • 
    Cruising for the old times

    by Janie Emaus March 14, 2012 - 7:01 AM
• • 
    Healthcare costs, insurance rates & copays: Oh my!

    by Lerner February 27, 2012 - 7:02 AM
  • 
    My first Mardi Gras

    by The Bearded Iris February 21, 2012 - 7:02 AM

Comments (10)

Name:

Email:

Website URL:

Your Comment:

Enter the word as it appears in the box.

Submit Comment Cancel

Posted at Submit  |  Back to Editing Report Abuse

• 
  Report Fri Feb 24, 2012 - 3:30 pm

  by  For Those About To Shop

  I'm Canadian and I love visiting the States because it's more exciting and people are very frank and assertive.

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Fri Feb 24, 2012 - 12:18 pm

  by  Jenn

  I'm really looking forward to grocery stores. And more options for food than the pub and "the Indian". And to ave things a bit closer. That said, I will miss not being able to walk practically anywhere to get basic stuff - you pretty much have to get into a car to get to the market. I'd worry about getting fat and lazy, but I know at least I'll ave my massive fitness center where I can watch tv while I slog it out on the treadmill, and normal yoga and Pilates and Zumba...not the titsy gym with the mental owner who insists I need to give up alcohol, gluten, dairy and sugar. Every time I go in. Or who emails me and facebooks me if I miss a few days. Give me that big box ambivalence and let me run on the fucking treadmill in peace.

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Thu Feb 23, 2012 - 7:29 pm

  by  Clare Macnaughton

  Yep - Southern California is better. I would love to know what your Lancastrian partner thinks about it. What does the Northern boy miss? So jealous!!

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Wed Feb 22, 2012 - 7:10 pm

  by  Shirls2012

  As Stephen Sondheim wrote for West Side Story: I like the shores of America! Comfort is yours in America! Knobs on the doors in America, Wall-to-wall floors in America! Wish I lived there! But in a warmish climate like Florida.

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Tue Feb 21, 2012 - 3:59 pm

  by  North American Bear Co.

  Welcome Back, Lerner!! I hope you hauled it to the couch upon your arrival. CABLE TELEVISION HAS MISSED YOU, I'm sure!

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Tue Feb 21, 2012 - 2:58 pm

  by  The Bearded Iris

  WELCOME BACK!!! I think living abroad for an extended time sounds so romantic and adventurous, but yeah, I'd probably really miss little conveniences and American things like clothing sizes and Taco Bell.

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Feb 20, 2012 - 10:23 am

  by  Everyday Stranger

  Ok, I'm not so with you on 1) (the customer service - which I once missed - I now find incredibly over-bearing. No I don't need help, thanks. No really. No. Seriously. Please let me explore my options in peace. I know it comes in other sizes and colors. No, my accent is not cute, I sound just like you.). 2) can also get on my nerves. I once had an American try to explain to me - in a really loud voice - how the post office worked. The post office. Really? Not only am I Yank, but what kind of stupid do you have to be to not know how to use a post office? Your other 3 are perfect, though. Absolutely. I nodded and felt nostalgic all the way through. I'd add: 1) Target - yes, I want a giant box of washing powder and some CDs, thanks! and 2) the grocery stores. Having the option of buying 27 different kinds of cracker makes me feel like a princess. The options! The glorious, fabulous options!

  Reply Delete
• 1 reply, Last reply by Lerner on Mon Feb 20, 2012 at 9:49 pm
• 
  Report Mon Feb 20, 2012 - 9:49 pm

  by  Lerner

  @Everyday Stranger: We'll have to agree to disagree. Be assertive with the pushy fuckers. :) If I don't feel like being helped I always jsut say, "I'm good for now, but I'll let you know if I need anything." Seems to work okay for me. But oh, the grocery shopping. I cried the first time I went grocery shopping back home. Wrote about it here: http://stayathomebabe.com/2012/02/first-day-stateside-i-cried-shut-up/

  Reply Delete
• 
  Report Mon Feb 20, 2012 - 3:17 pm

  by  Janie Emaus

  I've never lived outside of the States..and pretty much love it here. Most of the time.

  Reply Delete
• 1 reply, Last reply by Lerner on Mon Feb 20, 2012 at 9:47 pm
• 
  Report Mon Feb 20, 2012 - 9:47 pm

  by  Lerner

  @Janie Emaus: I thought I was a square peg in a round hole before I left. That liberal angst during the Bush administration had me right in the middle of an identity crisis :). I've never felt more patriotic in my life than I do after having lived abroad.

  Reply Delete