First off, disclaimer– in regards to ‘the South’, I’ve only ever been to where we currently live (the Savannah, Georgia area) so that’s where my first impressions are coming from : ) We’ve been here exactly five months now; it doesn’t sound like long, but Ireland feels like a lifetime ago and I’m so grateful that I can say we feel very settled after the crazy move. Some weeks in those first few months felt like a lifetime. If you’ve moved country with kiddos, you know what I’m talking about. It’s no joke! I don’t really like to even think about it so moving on…
I’m a West Coast girl. I was born and raised on the coast of Southern California, while most of my adult life was spent in Belfast, Northern Ireland. When my husband and I knew for sure that we would be starting the next chapter of our lives here, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. While I’ve done my fair share of international traveling, I have a lot to learn about my own country! And I’m pretty darn excited about that.
Five first impressions…
- It may sound obvious to some, but I have to say my first impression when we got here was that things just felt different—from California / the West Coast that is. Some of my Irish friends would say to me, “oh, are you excited to move back home?” But the truth is, America is huge and every state has its own feel / culture—I know I’m back in the US, but it doesn’t feel like home in the sense that I’m still getting used to a completely different part of it. And I’m still figuring out the little things—like which grocery stores to shop at (oh Trader Joe’s, pleeeeease come here).
- People here are so friendly! I don’t have any really close friends yet—that takes time. But I am comforted in saying I know there must be some kindred spirits out there because I have met so many lovely people / moms… at the park, in coffee shops, through trying different churches with my family… I always knew Americans were open, friendly people but even more so in the South!
- Food is greasy and fatty and full of butter and that’s just the way it is. It tastes AMAZING once in awhile (hello fried chicken) but I’m trying to stick to my old cooking habits and we do eat most meals at home. Also, I had nearly forgotten how many fast food options there are in the US! Drive thru Dunkin Donuts was nearly the death of me those first two months.
- It gets HOT here. That first month was like nothing I had ever experienced… and we arrived in September! Apparently July and August are the worst. It was quite an adjustment for us wimpy Irish folk; I still remember the first day the air felt crisp and I wore a sweater in the morning (it was mid October). Bliss! We have one CA getaway planned for this summer so far but I may need another.
- This one may sound strange, but it just feels a bit more ‘American’ here than it does when I’m home– sorry CA, you know I’ll always love you. ; ) I don’t know, maybe I’m just imagining it because people say things like ‘y’all’ and ‘yes ma’am’, but there’s a small town feel that just exudes American-ness! (if that makes any sense?!). The historical sites and monuments downtown are quite impressive as well.
Anyway, those are some thoughts for now. I haven’t been here long so I’m sure some new impressions are still to come. All in all, we are happy to be here and looking forward to taking some side trips in 2018. Any suggestions welcome : )
Lastly– we love front porches. And back porches. Basically this whole ‘relax on the porch’ vibe suits us : )
