Ode to a Garbage Disposal (among other things)

One thing that has slapped me in the face (sometimes more gently than others:) are all the differences between the countries we've lived in - it feels so foreign here! I knew it would be like this initially, until we get used to it, but it is still a hard adjustment!

Some of the difficulties include:

• The lack of a garbage disposal. Never have I missed it as much as I do now!
• The recycling/garbage system here. So many different colored bins and rules for sorting, I'm almost afraid to throw anything away...
• The fact that we live on the 3 floor of the apartment building. No elevator. Bringing the groceries in suddenly becomes an aerobic exercise!
• The teeny sized washer and dryer. We can't even fit one day's worth of all our laundry in one load! And the loads take quite a while to run...

BUT, before I get carried away, we've been so fortunate to find things that make us happy, or make it feel a little more like home. Here are a few:

We still have access to Amazon. Which makes mail day SO exciting!

Tyler joined the school soccer team - new friends, and an activity he's good at!

A giant park close enough to walk to, where we can play soccer and other kids join in

We found a store carrying all of the school supplies Owen needs for his weekly "forest day" at school - rain boots, rain pants and a rain jacket

The local grocery store has the best little plant section - I may not have enough dishes for everyone to eat on without washing them before every meal, but I have a new selection of house plants to brighten up the house :)

The apple juice - my number one favorite drink, and the stuff here is AMAZING!

The shop owner at a nearby pizza place is an Arab who speaks both Arabic and Spanish - we were so excited to have someone be able to understand us we talked his ear off for a while. He'll be getting a lot of business from us! 

The TV tower near our house (which reminds us of a mosque minaret) which means I can't really ever get lost going home - just follow the tower! Those of you who know what an "awesome" sense of direction I have know this is a blessing...

And the fact that every single one of these beautiful people are trying their hardest to stay upbeat during this transition! I'm glad to have such a great family.