"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same."- Anne Frank

We probably couldn't have moved to a country that is more similar to the United States, except maybe Canada. I say this primarily because there is no language barrier. I can't imagine what it would have been like to move here and also have to navigate a new language, though I know that people do it everyday.

My biggest anxiety about moving here was having to drive on the other side of the car, and the other side of the road. As I have mentioned before, I am feeling much more confident about that. Because we were living in Manhattan, I haven't driven on a regular basis since college! Driving in general would have been an huge adjustment even if we had moved to Westchester.

As many of the roads here are very narrow, you always have to drive as if a car could be coming towards you at anytime, and one of you will have to pull over. When you pull over, the passing driver will nod, simile or wave, or maybe flash their lights as a thank you. It's all very genial. True, I have had 2 instances where another driver seemed impatient, but for the most part, people around here seem to drive with a very nice attitude. It's not as if they don't seem to care, or have no sense of urgency. They just do what they have to do, deal with each situation as it comes, and they don't let it ruin their day. Now, I should add a reminder that I am outside the City Centre. For all I know it's the Belt Parkway everyday.

Luckily, we found out that you need to buy a license to watch TV, the fine for TV without a license is 635 Euro- that is A LOT of dollars. Speaking of TV, we have no idea what the new shows are in the US, but I have been able to catch up on old episodes of Ally McBeal, the Practice, Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica and Falcon Crest!

Also, there are no vegetables here. It's just veg, as in "eat all your fruit and veg", both of which are very good here. It's pretty difficult to find maple syrup, which my boys love a drop or two of on their waffles. I am not crazy about the waffles they have, so I am searching for a waffle iron. They do exist, but I am having a hard time finding one. It took me a while to venture into the non refrigerated egg world. I buy them and put them right into the fridge!

I know that they were talking about doing this in New York too, but if you don't bring grocery bags to the store, you have to by them. It's a great idea, but I am finding it very difficult to remember to bring the bags! I always leave them in the car and remember as I get to the check out.

These are all pretty minor adaptations, and I realize that this post is a bit of a babble, but it might be interesting to look back on this and revisit what I perceived to be the differences worth mentioning!