And here we are, on our somewhat-annual pilgrimage back to North America. As usual, we planned this trip to include some familiar destinations and some new, exciting places. First stop: New York City, where I am busily adding to my food porn collection (see also: 2009 NYC food porn, 2010 NYC food porn) in between visits with friends, family, and the city’s vast art collections.
Our first days back in the US are always a frenzy of excitement over little things we had forgotten exist, such as 24-hour shopping and unlimited free ice water. Noticing just how very much English is all around us. (Hey, those people at the next table are speaking English! Those guys at the corner sound American! Even our waitress speaks… oh, right.) Marveling at how one is expected to pay 20% more than the actual check, the check that arrives miraculously at your table, before you have thought to summon it.
Now we are a couple days in and many of the novelties have worn off. But the fun, the fun is just beginning.
I may or may not have chanted USA USA for about 2.5 seconds before I caught myself. Welcome home! Hope you have a great visit!
Be sure to regale us with ticket-price porn too – as it whether you got another great deal to NYC. I hope you enjoy every minute of your stay.
It’s funny you are here in NYC where I live and I am moving to Germany. Stumbled across your blog and you or your hubby takes great pictures. I hope you are having fun in NYC and definitely stop by the East Village area, I think the hippest place to be. I like that you are looking for food porn pictures- I’m a pastry chef and I never have a camera around when I need one to take my own food porn-worthy pics. Anyway have fun, and thanks for a great read!
After all these years, whenever I’m back “home” in Seattle, come Saturday morning I’ll start to freak, thinking: “What do we need at the store? What do I need downtown? Everything’s CLOSED tomorrow, Sunday — gotta shop while I still can!”
Isn’t it funny? Never fails. 🙂
Great post, Jul. It’s the little things one forgets (e.g. that everyone at every table can understand what you’re saying!)
CU,
Michael
this seems to be the season of heading back. I’ll be going back in June for a while. I get annoyed when the english speaking tourists ruin my best book reading spot amidst the german that I can tune out. So I imagine the first day or two home may be a bit of an overload.
Looking forward to the all night shopping and having access to a car though.
Enjoy! Be careful though…the money that is the same color always gets me. 🙂
@Eava – Thanks! The visit was indeed great.
@Ian – No fabulous deal this time around. Alas, we waited too long.
@Ellie – Good luck with the move! Welcome to expattery.
@Michael – These people don’t know how good they have it, not having to deal with no-shopping-Sunday stress.
@Andrew – We were just wondering how long it would take for us to get used to the English bombardment and tune it out. Have a good trip!
@Yelli – No kidding. Luckily we’re now back in a country that color-codes the money.