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Coming Home to the US of A
In 1995-96 I took a one-year sabbatical in New Zealand with my wife and two teenage sons. We spent the year in Christchurch. The south island is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen, and the people were the nicest, kindest I’ve ever met. It was a great year, and I encourage everyone to go there.
For the last month of our stay a family friend from the states, a woman in her 50s, came to stay with us. Just today my wife was going through some old papers and found a list that our friend had written of reasons why we should all be glad to be going home, back to the good old USA. Unfortunately for her, her visit was in August, the dead of New Zealand winter. Here is her list:
1. Cheap gas
2. No wood gathering
3. No stacking wood
4. Chocolate
5. Garbage disposal
6. Good coffee maker
7. Waking up to a reasonably warm house, without ice on the tip of your nose
8. No freezing at church services
9. Schools without bullying
10. Boys can go out to play
11. Cheap telephone (this predates unlimited cell plans)
12. Cheap books
13. US English
14. Microwave
15. More than a couple TV channels
16. No drying racks
17. Free checking
18. A good mattress
19. No washing dishes by hand
20. A less cramped house
21. No long underwear
22. Paper cups and plastic silverware
23. A decent showerhead
24. Reasonably priced postage
25. Sunshine
26. Ice cream
27. Pizza
28. Mexican food
She wasn’t completely wrong.
Published in General
Thanks for the boost in my day! I needed this. God bless America!
‘Murica!!
She had me at Mexican food!
If she was from Jersey she would have put pizza in the #1 spot.
She’s from Altoona, Pennsylvania
In December 1996, my wife and I flew to Russia to adopt our three daughters. The flight back from Moscow was interesting. The jet was only about half full, and there were several other families with adopted Russian children. When we heard the screech of the tires as the plane touched down at JFK, the entire cabin erupted into cheers and applause.
To parahrase what you said, we were glad to be back in the good old US of A!