tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9141822664679250598.post3618998353760732040..comments2023-08-22T12:31:26.307+02:00Comments on Swiss Family Pletcher: What I Won't MissPletcherFamilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01045190951686129822noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9141822664679250598.post-67395836891275939262020-05-09T23:24:33.960+02:002020-05-09T23:24:33.960+02:00Jennifer this brings back some memories. We were ...Jennifer this brings back some memories. We were so fortunate that being part of a military community (even though we lived on the economy) provided us with many fellow English speaking people. I remember going into the kitchen and seeing the tiny refrigerator thinking well that isn't going to be easy. We are used to our huge refrigerators and freezers. I had to learn to shop weekly (my neighbor shopped daily for her meats). I found that we walked more overall, whether into town or just around our community. I loved the open air markets. When we were in Germany, shops closed 'early' and there was one long Saturday a month where the hours might be extended until dinner time. It took some adjustments. Again, we had the American commissary and PX to shop at so it wasn't too much of a big deal. I do remember coming back to the states for the first time and being overwhelmed at the mall and grocery store. Where we might have had twenty choices for cereal at the military commissary, now I was in an aisle with hundreds of choices. The lights and people and hustle and bustle at the mall was too much for this introvert, haha... We also noticed a difference with laundry appliances. We had a small, and I mean small washer and dryer. Many people hung their clothing out back in their yard. Oh, and there were the noise ordinances...like you can't honk your horn unless it was an emergency...considered noise pollution. Cutting grass - better make sure you do it during the appropriate hours so as not to disturb your neighbors. I always told people that actually living in a foreign country is different than just visiting for a week. But I am so glad that we had this opportunity and I agree, I think all children should have the opportunity to travel and see what other cultures way of life is like. Learning how to do things differently is okay. :) I still vividly remember certain things about our time in northern Germany...chance of a lifetime and I am so glad that we lived there.SusanLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07657071304438733121noreply@blogger.com