I think that making a home in a foreign country is a long series of little steps. Sometimes you notice when you've made a step. For me, buying my first personal care products in Switzerland was one of those steps- personal care products are so... personal! I was more attached to the brands that I was familiar with than I expected, and it was weird to have to sort through all of the unfamiliar options and try to figure out what I wanted to use. My medicine cabinet is slowly transforming itself into a European medicine cabinet. Like most Americans that I know over here, however, we have all drawn the line at toothpaste. We all still import our toothpaste from the US, because none of us like the toothpaste here. Weird, I know, but true. The first doctor's appointment over here also was one of those discreet steps. To have an official doctor over here for me was one of those, "Oh, yeah, I live here, don't I?" moments.
Other steps are so gradual you don't really notice them. Until one day you wake up and realize that a huge shift has been made. I have just realized that I have to remind myself to cook with meat. My go-to recipes and dinners are now primarily vegetarian, a result of the super-high meat prices. I now plan to go to the grocery store at least 3 or 4 times a week, because eating fresh food is normal (and refrigerator space is definitely limited).
I had one more step this week: I got my first ACS (American Chemical Society) anniversary mug delivered to me here. Back in the US, I had quite the collection of nerdy mugs made of beakers or proudly displaying the periodic table of the elements. But here I have had no nerdy mugs! So... to have a nerdy mug in my flat feels like one more step of this becoming more home-y.
Other steps are so gradual you don't really notice them. Until one day you wake up and realize that a huge shift has been made. I have just realized that I have to remind myself to cook with meat. My go-to recipes and dinners are now primarily vegetarian, a result of the super-high meat prices. I now plan to go to the grocery store at least 3 or 4 times a week, because eating fresh food is normal (and refrigerator space is definitely limited).
I had one more step this week: I got my first ACS (American Chemical Society) anniversary mug delivered to me here. Back in the US, I had quite the collection of nerdy mugs made of beakers or proudly displaying the periodic table of the elements. But here I have had no nerdy mugs! So... to have a nerdy mug in my flat feels like one more step of this becoming more home-y.
