It’s been less than a week since being back on American soil and visiting home.
It is so nice to be amongst those with whom I am most comfortable and those who know me best. Even though I have not been home to visit for five years, it has felt as if I haven’t been gone that long. At the same time, I feel as if I have always been gone. I know… confusing, eh? I’ll address more on that at a later date.
Consumerism is my measurement of happiness since being back. It is not that I necessarily need anything, but it is somehow joyful to have the ability to find varieties of spices, clothes, electronics, etc. etc. with little-to-no stress in wondering where such things could be obtained or understanding the details of such products.
One of the most amazing things I have found is the size and quantity of products for low prices. For example, in Italy (and most European countries) over-the-counter drugs are only available at a pharmacy, which sort of contradicts the whole OTC concept, and they are not necessarily very cheap. So, when I found a bottle of 500 capsules of ibuprofen for a mere $7.99, I was gleeful to know I won’t have to make a trip to a pharmacy, where it costs about $5 for 10 capsules, for a while.
Also, it is no wonder that many/most Americans are overweight with so much super-plus sized food items like potato chips bags, sweets, etc. at a fairly low price.
Still, the convenience of finding everything both within and beyond the imagination is a dream when coming from a place where products are limited, more challenging to find, and all in a foreign language space. So, the symbol of Americanism in the consumption of products is well-appreciated right now.
Before you shake your head at my encouragement of globalization, greed, and the like, I have not just been focusing on the things I can buy. I also have taken in the scenes of beautiful evergreen trees and farm fields with animals or agricultural plants. It is nice to see wide open spaces and a different kind of green than what I normally see.
While Italy does have luscious green hills, it is that of new grass fields. Trees surround our house, but they do not have the same height and stature. Although Italy is a much older country, there is still something aged and wise in the trees that fill the neighborhood where I have been doing my run-walks.
So, while there is craziness in politics or society’s trajectory that does not make America so beautiful, there is much for this visiting citizen to find wonderful so far. 🤪
~T 🔥🐉♋️
Your glee over some of the things you can get here make me smile. I’ll look forward to reading more of your observations,
I marvel at the beauty around me all the time. I worry our long drought might become a permanent thing, I fear mans ignorance in some cases, is ruining or planet. I try not to become a contributor to the human ruin of our land and wildlife.