Simple Pleasures

Living again in the U.S. after nearly 4 years, there a number of small things which catch me off guard and make me happy. A few examples:

- the price of snack foods;
- the milkshakes they sell across the street;
- driving;
- planning menus, and knowing that I can make anything in the cookbook, because all ingredients will be available at the store;
- unrestricted access to the internet;
- big closets and sufficient storage space;
- the bright blue sky;
- the bright green grass;
- chatting with the cashier;
- effectively and fluently communicating with our apartment management;
- reading street signs;
- the library;
- public parks and playgrounds;
- the children's program at the church around the corner;
- the number of television stations in English;
- the amount of green space and thick trees.

And the pleasant surprise which continues to get me - how diverse the population of Northern Virginia is. I'm not sure if this is all of America, or specifically or new community. But as white kids, ours are often in the minority. At restaurants, in the mall, in her preschool classroom, the faces are not all white and not everyone speaks English.