I’m flying back to Seattle on March 1. I had been tossing around the idea of staying for another two weeks, but unfortunately I have to meet with my downstairs neighbor about a sewer problem we’ve been having. How boring is that?
The last month or so I’ve been surprisingly busy. I made that terrific trip to England and I’ve been working. Lately, I get up crazy early and work until noon, go play in the snow for a couple of hours, then work again in evening. (Yesterday we snowshoed over the ridge between here and the Spechtensee, the day before we skied the route around the bird sanctuary.) The transit time between here and Seattle is going to be a little bit like taking the weekend off.
Anyway, as I’ve been mentally preparing for the seasonal return to the US, I find myself thinking about what I want to take with me and steeling myself for the things about the US that no matter how hard I try to get used to them, I still find sort of distressing. Current things on my mind – besides, of course, the government include:
Cars: In spite of the fact that we live in a snowy alpine wonderland, people here seem to cope just fine without driving around in huge-ass SUVs. We drive a two door hatch back with 4 season tires and we have put chains on it exactly one time this winter. In Seattle, where the biggest transportation issue is getting back and forth across the 520 bridge in rush hour traffic, it seems that everyone is prepared to go off road their giant cars at any minute. This drives me crazy. Don’t even try to tell me you need that thing for driving in snow or getting over the pass. Bullshit.
Bread: I’ve mentioned this before, but for some reason I’ve really come to Jesus on the European bread issue. The bread in the US blows. I’m gonna have to buy the damn four dollar loaf at Rainbow, or at least three dollar loaves at TJs just for a decent slice of toast. This is annoying.
Yogurt: The closest thing to a European style yogurt in my neighborhood is the Brown Cow which, while I love that stuff, is way too fat to eat regularly. The supermarket yogurt we get here in Aigen is better by far than the Dannon, the Tillamook, the Nancy’s, any of those brands you get in the dairy case at the Q.
On the flip side, there are things I just can’t wait to leave behind. For starters:
Smoking: Don’t get me wrong. You go ahead and smoke, if that’s what you want to do. But for crying out loud, I would love to go out for pizza and not come home stinking like I’ve spent the evening in a smoke filled bar. I would like to get a cup of coffee and a slice of cake and taste the cake, not your second hand smoke. The Austrians are supposed to be implementing non-smoking sections in their restaurants, required by the end of this year, but they’re probably going to wait until Dec 31. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they act like the British are now that the hunting ban is in place.
Driving everywhere: Okay, this is because we live in a small town here. We’re smack in the middle of the urbs in Seattle. Still, I hate it that I have to get in the car and drive to get my groceries. There’s a supermarket about a ten minute walk from our door, but the selection is pretty bad, it’s a small town market. If we really want to go grocery shopping, we have to get in the car and go to Liezen. In Seattle there are four, count them, four – no wait, now with the TJs there are FIVE – better than decent markets within walking distance of my front door, no car needed. (Okay, most things having to do with automobile dependencies for daily life make me crazy. This is not just an Aigen thing.)
Solitary confinement: Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but I really miss my friends. My social life here is a near wasteland. I miss Margot stopping by with Erin or Anthony to tell me I’m going with them to the movies, right NOW. I miss dawdling on my front porch drinking coffee and shooting the breeze with my delightful downstairs neighbors, Brandy and Shanna. I miss sitting at the Hopvine – my local pub that allows smoking only at the back four tables – waiting for Terry and Nia on Friday nights. I miss running down to Larry’s house on Sunday to see his latest quilt or what he’s done with the garden. My people, my people. I can’t wait to hang out with them again.
I can go on about the things I’m looking forward to: excellent ethnic food in every variety. Local color – it’s pretty white here, you are not surprised to learn. Seattle Ukulele Players Association events – I miss being part of that big social group. But I have had a very good winter in spite of the things I miss. I think it’s good to leave with a little regret rather than fleeing because I can’t take it any more. Plus, J. follows a mere month later and is scheduled to arrive on April 1. Only a month of separation – for us that’s practically nothing.
Here’s to the coming Spring.