CULTURE SHOCK once again

We have been in the Oregon, and now Washington, for 2 weeks now.

Maddy, Ali, & I came alone and the girls were great travelers - 19 hours of travel later, we arrived at my parents! We had an adventure of racing through the Houston airport for our plane that had already left, only to race all the way back through to catch our last option of the night – thankfully we made it with only 2 minutes to spare! Tristan joined us a week later so he could get more work done and be with Sigel for longer.

 The first 10 days we were in Oregon with my family – lots of fun, food, and family. Now we’re in Washington visiting my sister-in-law, and tomorrow we drive down to San Francisco and are there for just over a week.

Every time we come back to the States the contrasts in culture between Honduras and the U,S of A. – even more so seeing it through the eyes of a talkative 3 year old who has spent most of her life in Honduras.  The first thing Maddy got excited about was the ‘water that came out of the wall’ (drinking fountain) and she is still laughing when she throws the toilet paper into the toilet instead of into the garbage can. And she got a kick out of the idea of motor homes we were passing on the freeway…’ a home on wheels!?’   

The first thing I notice is the let down & security I feel in the US. This obviously could be a major part that I’m just away from my job – or away from the constant need that is always staring us in the face – but I think a big part of it is the knowing what is expected of me and that laws and human rights are upheld. If I get pulled over by the police, I’ll be treated fairly, not be possibly asked for a bribe or a fine I don’t deserve. A sense of understanding your place and the common customs of the land brings a sense of security and assurance.

    

We spent hours riding trikes (Maddy learned how to use Big Wheels) around the neighborhoods and to parks around my parents home – and you could see all these beautiful lawns and flowers (there weren’t any 12 foot high concrete walls around the homes!) and yet no people were sitting outside waiting for someone to pass by and talk to them. There were no 10ft potholes in the roads and everything in Oregon is green right now – not the dust bowl of our community. In Honduras you can’t NOT say hi to someone, in the States it doesn’t seem to be the norm (some people didn’t know what to do with me).

And oh the options there are here! Seriously that many cereal options!?! I was amazed at the new coke dispensers at the gas station – I had to take a picture J. Funny to think of what our community would think of one of these at the local pulperia (corner store) where Coke is the only option.

Seriously!? this is how you get fountain soda now?

“Third Culture Kid” is the coined phrase for missionary kids – kids who grow up in a culture that isn’t their own, and yet they don’t fit into their home culture either due to little time spent there (Maddy has been in the States for less than 4 months of her almost 4 years of life). It’s something I’m very aware of as we are here ‘visiting’ her culture. The good thing is that kids adapt, but the first kid that laughs at mine for not knowing what a drinking fountain is, they’d better look out J.

ok enough talk...now for some random, fun pics of the last week.

Easter Family picture 2014 :)

Ready to find the eggs for Easter!

We loved playing outside and it not being 100 degrees!

Lake Marie is one mile around - Ali walked the entire way the first time! Love my family & how they played 'hide and seek' with Maddy & Ali all the way around!

We are cold! :)