Things I'm thankful for...

Traveling back and forth between two cultures that are the complete opposites of eachother (ie. Af.stan and the USA, if you hadn't guessed by now), does not come without its difficulties and adjustments. I had to work really hard to learn the Afghan customs and become Danika in a place that is so different from whom I have become. Some people may assume that when you return to your home culture, it's like breathing a sigh of relief. But, it's not all the time. You get to experience what some term "reverse culture shock" when your own culture becomes difficult to deal with. I also notice things that I once took for granted and find great joy in them and get crazy excited about these little things. To let you in on my current re-adjustment process, here is a list of things I am over-the-top excited about:

- a shower that can be any temperature I want it to and has super great water pressure! And....I don't have to turn my sink on to get the hot water to come out of the shower head. Beautiful.
- 24/7 electricity that doesn't surge
- coffee...strong, dark, hot and on every street corner and in nearly every home. Praise God!
- a bed, not a mattress on the floor. And a full-sized bed so I feel like an adult, not a teenager!
- I can drive a car and no one stares
- I can walk down the street and no one stares
- I can go shopping and no one stares
- I can run and no one....okay, you get the point.
- I can understand 100% of what people are saying, not just 50-70.
- my credit/debit cards work here
- I can get a whole list of things done in one day.
- Guys open doors for me and let me walk through first.
- Salads and fresh vegetables
- No dust
- My hairdryer and piles of hair products
- I can wear my hair down and it can look pretty for other people to see.
- tank tops
- eye-contact and firm handshakes
- choices and options
- privacy
- people drive within the lines on the road (most of them at least).
- paved roads
- people stand in lines and take turns
- everything is SO green and beautiful.
- diversity and uniqueness is valued, not questioned.
- I have the freedom to be myself

The list could go on.

And here are a few of the things that take me by surprise, overwhelm me, or downright bother me about American culture. I won't tell you which ones cause which reactions. :)
- Americans are so loud! The stereotype really is true!
- We have WAY too many choices. Have you ever noticed just how many kinds of toothpaste there are?!?
- If you have to wait one extra minute, everyone gets impatient.
- People talk about money and their stuff an awful lot.
- There are lots of very overweight people in this country.
- It can be a bit lonely transitioning from a very community-oriented culture. No one stops by just to say hi here. Or, people only have 5 minutes to talk, not an hour or two over tea. I miss that.
- Everyone is so busy, too busy. and we all think that it's a good thing to be so busy.

So, for those of you who work with or are friends with or are family members of people who travel be it for business, for "M" work, or whatever, don't assume that their returning home is all roses but be a listening ear, ask about their experiences and really be interested in what they have to say, and don't force them to go to Walmart the first day they are back. Those things can be a bit too much to face when you've been face-to-face with poverty, injustice, simpler lifestyles, and cultural diversity. And as for me...I had some great kabob earlier this week and a great cup of coffee from Starbucks today. And along the way I found good friends, had wonderful conversations, made new discoveries, and know a God that intricately understands the Af.stan Danika and the American Danika that often have to coexist.