You Know You've Lived Overseas a Long Time When...

Us arriving on Christmas Eve...super weary but super happy to finally be here!

 You know you've lived overseas a long time when...

1. You're not sure how to greet people: a quick hug, a long hug, stiff handshake or...nothing at all?

2. When someone comments their house is small and you marvel because yours would have fit inside...4 times.

3. You visit an American church and feel slight anxiety over the "greet time."

4. You feel a little overwhelmed by the size and options in American grocery stores...okay let's be honest here.  SUPER overwhelmed!

5. You don't recognize people you've known all your life and wonder how in the world they got so much older...and inwardly chuckle when they sometimes don't know you (is it possible I got much older too?!)

6. All you really dream of for breakfast is cold cereal of almost any variety and good ol' ice cream every.stinkin'.night before bed.

7. Even after a month of driving automatic cars, you do that involuntary twitch thing with left food/right hand because for an instant you forgot your car ISN'T manual.

8. It's just a wee bit strange how ON TIME people really do show up...and leave.

9. You are just a little shocked at the amount of junk food the family in the line ahead of you is purchasing.  And I thought MY diet needed immediate improvment.

10. You're amazed (and not a little pleased) you can eat out with your husband for under US$30.00.

11. You seriously can't get over how incredibly FAST that crazy washer and dryer clean AND DRY your clothes.  Now how CLEAN they actually are when you fold them...with so little effort.

12. You unashamedly want to wander up and down EVERY aisle in TARGET....every.blessed.day!

13. You feel most comfortable at the tiny Latino market in your tiny town or at your children's school where you hear more Spanish being spoken than English and your fair skinned children are the...get this, the MINORITY. :)

Yes. Sigh.  I've been gone a long time.  In many instances I feel a little bit like a fish out of water.  A friend gently reminded me to give it time, it can take two years to feel like a place is Home.

But what if that place used to be HOME?  And yet doesn't quite feel like Home anymore?

And then I remember how God was with me during the 30 years in the USA and was with me during the 11 years in BRAZIL.  He will surely be with me however long I am once again in the USA.

Oh and if I should count the ways God has blessed our little family the last 6 weeks, it would be another lengthy post.  I will share soon.  Suffice to say, we are very much alive and well and blessed!

                                                                              Joy in Him,
                                                                                        Jama (Zephaniah 3:17)