Quentin, after I moved here, I started questioning my sanity. Oh not "why did I move here?". I mean literally: my sanity. I even apologized to my husband explaining that I think I got this sudden case of Alzheimer's and I swear I had no indication of this before...but it looked like he married damaged goods.
You see, my brain kept telling me that all I had to cope with in this move was that people talked a bit funny (I could adapt and eventually understand), and that they drove on the opposite side of the road (I was feeling abit more shakey about relearning this).
The surreal things started happening. I was dumping pepper on my chips (see I've already started talking like them) instead of salt. Trying to flush loos when the toilet handle wasn't on that side of the toilet. Turning wrong lights on when I really wanted the other ones off. Walking into small public loos, closing and locking the door, spending a while in the dark trying to find a light switch...and then just going in the complete dark because I didn't want to open the door just to reach out and turn on the light.
Once a good cook, I've had to relearn everything (the biggest was that grams are a WEIGHT and not a volume...discovered five excrutiating Victoria sponges later). You can't just walk into a grocery store and simply pick up flour and sugar. (You know how the Eskimos have 75 different words for 'snow'?)
I'd never been much of a swearer, but I think people around me thought I had Tourette's...clue: don't ask for shag carpeting in a flooring centre. And I will never forget the look of utter shock on that smartly-dressed businessman's face when I told him of an experience that had me laughing so hard that "I laughed my fanny off".
By the same token, don't be shocked to see along country byways, seemingly innocent signs hawking hardcore. It's a shameless society in many ways.
Back to my sanity. Some say it's never been there anyway.
But, I honestly feel it didn't start to come back until I found other people in the same position. People who post on boards like this. Actually meeting up with them. Talking about experiences, laughing over differences. Sharing thoughts with those who have 'been there done that'. As much as we adore our spouses, they will never completely understand what it is we've done and the huge step it was to take. It's a complete change of life. It's throwing out everything you've been taught, and just about everything you've worked for, and being asked to start all over again with a chance that it may have been a huge mistake.
Quentin, for all the things you are finding hard right now, it does get better. I'd never in my life used public transportation, but I love it now...and totally miss not having the same conveniences when I visit the States.
But having friends helps. It helps
a lot.
