We've been back in the U.S. for three days now, not including Monday night when we landed because most of us went straight to bed. Each group has been working diligently on the final leg of their projects, and the finished product is in sight.
Outside of class, though, there are a few things that we are thoroughly enjoying having back now that we're back in the land of excess and freedom.
Free Water
Most of us have no food in our apartments, so we've still been eating out, albeit not all together. The first thing I appreciated after sitting down in IHOP — one of my favorite American eateries — is being able to order water without paying a small fortune. Free water is one of the few things that America has been doing right for a long time.
Free Bathrooms
This was the most surprising thing to me when we were discussing the quirks of Germany before our initial departure. Why would you charge someone to do an uncontrollable human function? That being said, their public bathrooms were cleaner on the whole than those in the U.S., but I'd much rather have a slightly messier public bathroom and pocket my parking change.
Being Alone
As much as we loved making new friends and getting to hang out in Germany, having more personal time is something a few of us didn't realize we desperately needed. For me, getting ready in the morning has been much more peaceful and involved many fewer elbows around the bathroom mirror.
Friends and Family
This one is a given; we missed spending time with our at-home friends and family while we were away and are excited to catch up on all the drama we were gone for.
Overtly American Foods
As great as German food is, I missed being able to eat American breakfast food at any time of day. Yesterday, I had bacon and egg sandwiches on waffle quarters for two meals and, honestly, I would eat it again today if given the opportunity. Wings, hush puppies, fried chicken, and mac and cheese are just a few of the American dishes we are excited to gorge ourselves in over the next few weeks.
Southern Hospitality
As polite as German people are, there is nothing quite like good ole Southern hospitality. At dinner last night, our waitress checked on our table every five minutes, even after we had finished our meals and she had taken our dishes. It was fantastic. This is not to say that German waiters are not good at their jobs. People in German just have a different way of dining out that I couldn't quite get used to.
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