Understading America

Wow, life really took over me. But here I am! Back after ONLY 8 months of absence. In between those months we have celebrate here the coming of Autumn, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukah, Christmas, Diwali, Super Bowl and Chinese New Year. In the States everything is a big reason to celebrate, and you can't escape, because you will see it, hear it, smell it, eat it, wear it... The moment one celebration ends, another find its way on the selves of the grocery shops. Anything for a celebration and for spending some cash, mainly! And although you know it is all part of the marketing game you grow to love it, and to crave it. Because in the end, it is all about the memories and the moments you get to built.

Another thing that you got to love in the States is how vocal people are when they like or dislike something and how spontaneously are reacting. I still remember my first days here on my first round. I had the most famous boots in the area! Women will stop in the traffic lights to ask me about my boots. I will walk in the mall and hear "Cool boots girrrrl!" and I was cracking up every time. I mean my boots could and still can have their own Instagram page! I found this sharing really cute and refreshing.

And then I remembered what the lady that we had hire to help us with our transition here had told me. "You know people here might talk to you easily, but don't expect to become friends or go for a coffee because you connected while you were side by side on the treadmill." And how right she was!

Friendships here are a tough one. I think it is more of a local thing...( you tell me)  It is a very Baltimorian thing.

Making friends, or finding people to connect it is not an easy task where I live. Foreigners or even people from other States are really struggling with that. And no don't get me wrong, people are not mean or cold. It is just that people who grew up here have a very strong bond with their families and their friends from school. Not college, be careful, school. Here, people ask no "where did you study?", but "where did you go to school?". Kids are going back to the same schools their grandparents or parents went. And this is how it rolls.

A great thing to see and totally unexpected since we have somehow connected Americans with a sense of freedom and a tendency to escape as early as their can from their home nest. But at the same time a difficult task for the newbies. There are no expats groups. It is either the church you belong to or if you are lucky and meet another expat by chance and have an understanding of the situation. Sometimes there are also groups of moms with young kids that are ready to share tantrums and sleepless nights while craving for coffee mornings free of kids!

Having said that, the oxymoron is that if you are in need people that you don't even know or have talk before will step up and help you out. On a snow day, in time of sickness, when you have a baby, or if your are moving. And the next day will be like nothing happened and will move on with their lives.

I still have a lot to learn and a lot to understand here in the States so bare with me and my journey! Bye for know!