America - the Land of Plenty (and Havarti Cheese)

My arrival in America was VERY different than I'd expected. Having been gone for two years, I thought I'd have a special emotional response to our return. I thought I'd look out the airplane window at the Wasatch Mountains and get a lump in my throat. I thought I have a swell of patriotic pride when I saw the "Welcome to the United States of America" sign. And I thought I'd break down into sobs of grateful tears as I breathed in the dry, clean air.

Nope.

Instead, I was really air sick. As in, throw-up-five-times air sick. As in, the airline stewardess handing me a steady supply of throw-up bags. And most embarrassing of all, as in, having to lay down on the floor while waiting in line to clear customs. Yep. That was my welcome back to the good 'ol USA.

Even my reunion with my wonderful Aunt Connie was marred by the necessity to run over to the bushes where I dry heaved because there was nothing (NOTHING) left to throw up.

Here is my lovely daughter reenacting my throw up moment in Aunt Connie's front yard:

 

(Thank you Leasie for capturing this memorable moment with such dramatic flare!)

Thankfully, I DID recover. And my anticipated emotional response to being back in America came. But again, it didn't come as expected.

I went to Target (cue clouds parting, beams of light shining down, and a heavenly chorus singing angelic praises). I was all by myself - I just wanted to get a few grocery items. Pushing the cart down the wonderfully wide aisles, I went to find cheese for sandwiches. First of all, the cheese section was like a WALL of cheese. Oh the choices! Oh the variety! As I scanned the labels, I saw a package of Havarti cheese.

I stopped. I stared. Havarti cheese! And the tears flowed.

Crazy, right? Well here's the thing: I'd forgotten Havarti cheese existed. And it's my FAVORITE cheese for sandwiches. Two years without the option of Havarti cheese, and I'd forgotten all about it. Completely forgotten.

Suddenly the wall of cheese represented everything I'd missed over the past 2 years. And once the flood gates opened, there was no stopping the tears. It seemed everywhere I looked, there were food items I'd forgotten about, missed out on, or just done without. I cried over the bag of heathbars, I cried over the greek yogurt, I cried over the bagged spinach, I cried over the frozen fish sticks, I cried over the aisle of haircare products, and yes, I cried over the hormel hams (an entire refrigerated shelf FULL of delicious hams!)

Did fellow Target shoppers think I was crazy? Probably, yes. But I didn't care. I was having my therapeutic post-traumatic-Jakarta breakdown.

America IS the land of plenty. The land of Havarti cheese.

Over the next few days, it was as though I was on a stimulant. Gone were the tears. It was just shop, shop, shop. Oh the elation! The gratitude of being back! So incredible.

Do you know what it's like to go to a store with a list of items you want to buy, and you can find ALL OF THEM?! Joy, people. Joy.

Madi took a couple choice pictures of us as we did "Jumps for Joy!" in front of our favorite stores:

 

 

 Costco. A slice of heaven. The berries you see below...we ate them all in three days.

 What? Cute, modest dresses at Costco?! Happy dance!

 Ross. Oh Ross, how I love your shoe racks!

I know America has much more to offer than Target, Costco, and Ross (and I'll be writing about that too). But having been deprived for two years, it was wonderful to be back. A huge thanks to patient, kind Aunt Connie who went shopping with us those first couple days. Thanks for laughing with us! And thanks for never rolling your eyes at my unfiltered joy over such simple things.