Comparisons

I was thinking about my year in Germany yesterday... and I started to think up my list of things which I miss about the states, things I love about Germany, and things which I've realized are not critical... because I do have a lists of these things

For example... any time I have ever looked for a rental or when I was looking to buy my house a dishwasher was a must. Absolute must. It was a make it or break it factor. There was no way I was going to live somewhere if it didn't have a dishwasher. Yeah, we don't have one. And in fact... to do our dishes our little sink is too small and no hot water comes out of it. Yes, you read that right. I have no immediate hot water source in my kitchen. So to wash dishes I have to take a big plastic tub down to our bathtub, fill it up, then lug it back into the kitchen to wash dishes. Inconvenient? Yes. But ya know what's funny? It's really not that big of a deal. It's not. I have to wash dishes by hand in a somewhat non-conventional way. So what? It's really not quite the crisis I have always made it out to be. We survive just fine.

Not having access to things which are open 24/7. We go grocery shopping on base, and the hours are something like 8-7. If we shop off base the hours are similar, only everything is closed on Sundays. Our BX (the base version of Walmart) has hours of about 11-7, and it is closed a few random times as well. At first when we got here I was really annoyed with this. What if I'm baking and I need more sugar at 9 pm? What if one of us comes down with the flu and need over the counter meds in the middle of the night? You plan ahead. That's what you do. You make sure you've always got what you need on hand - which means stocking up on things and always having a specific grocery list. The point is, a lot of people complain about the lack of 24 hour shopping like you have in the states. Don't get me wrong, there are times I miss it. But. It's really not that big of a deal. You can do without it - people do all the time. In fact... it's kind of nice to live in a town which is completely dead quiet on Sundays.

I love that Germany recycles seemingly everything. We have one large bin which we put cardboard and paper into. We also have yellow "trash" bags which you can put plastic, aluminum, metal cans, styrofoam, tin foil, ect into. When there is so much you can recycle (because where I was living you could recycle cardboard, aluminum cans, some plastics, but you had to drop it off yourself) it really cuts down on your trash. And it is so convenient to have a trash type bag in the kitchen where you can just toss it. If all recycling was this easy (and mandatory by law as it is here) it could be much more successful.

I love that sodas (all major brands) in Germany are made with real sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. I was never necessarily a "real" Coke person (I always stuck with Diet Coke) - however real Coke over here tastes AMAZING. Seriously amazing. It took me awhile to figure out that real sugar was the difference. I recently had and "American" Sprite made with high fructose corn syrup and thought it was absolutely disgusting. I think "soda" as a food group (ha ha!) may get eliminated from my life upon returning to the states as it just doesn't taste good.

That also applies to yogurt. Over here we have the best - absolute best - greek yogurt. So unbelievably good. When I was back home in January I ate some yogurt at my brother's house. Here I should explain - I have always liked yogurt. Prior to Germany, I always bought the fat free, lite version of yogurts. My brother buys the wonderfully delicious full fat versions. I was eating a full fat version of a brand of yogurt which I know to be good, so it should have tasted wonderful and creamy.... yet it tasted like crap. My mom had me try some greek yogurt she buys which she states is "the closest she's found to what you have over there" (my mom got hooked on the yogurt as well) and... yeah it was nothing even remotely close. It tasted awful as well. So... depending on what I find with trial and error, yogurt may also be eliminated.

Now... about the states. I miss getting free water with my meal at restaurants. Over here you have to ask for water, and then it comes out of a bottle, so you must pay for it. I really like being able to get a water AND something else. I also miss getting ice with my drink - because you don't get that over here ever. Drinks are also not bottomless... so if you want more, you pay for two drinks. It's not that I chug my liquids, but I just don't like the idea of the restrictions.

I also miss Mexican food. Germany and Europe has some awesome food, and there is some great ethnic food. But. They just don't do Mexican right. With all the delicious gelato and tasty treats available to us I feel silly saying this... but I miss Dairy Queen. There is something I miss about American soft serve.

On the flip side of my saying "not having 24 hour shopping isn't that big of deal" - I do miss the shopping in the states. I just missing having Target/Walmart/Ross where I knew I would be able to find what I was looking for and there would be a variety of choices. If I can find what I want on base, it's a miracle. Sometimes I can find what I want off base, depending on what it is. Most of the time I either go without... but sometimes I order things online (which is a pain. I'm an instant gratification kind of girl) or ask my mom to hunt for it and send it to me. So I miss the convenience of it... but... on the flip side... it's really not that big of deal to me. It's not. It's not a make it or break it thing. Which is much different from how I once used to think... So... maybe Germany has helped me to re-shift my thinking a bit to realize not much is a crisis.