Culture Snack

10.18.10

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Dinner plans started at 6:30. That was an hour and a half away and I was ravenous. I had been doing some light chores around the house because I had figured out that it helps me to have goals for the day. I guess I had picked this up from paddling certain distances each day this summer. It also helped with the culture shock of being back. So I cleaned the garage and enjoyed a beer or two as I did so.

Mom wanted to take me out to the new Mexican restaurant in St. Peter, because it was rumored that it was amazing. Rumors that incidentally turned out to be wonderfully true, but that was too long to wait. I needed a snack.

I walked swiftly to the drawer that hid the Double Stuffed Oreos fully intending on destroying the entire bag. I put my half finished beer on the counter as my hand opened the drawer and I paused--maybe just a couple, I was not entirely sure how well the cookies would go with PBR. My body was craving something else. What? Oreos and milk—check. I stood there looking into the cold white light of the refrigerator. There it was… some cottage cheese, and ranch dressing. Bingo.

As I gathered my delicious things to head into the living room to watch a movie I went over my menu: Oreos, milk, cottage cheese with ranch dressing, and beer. Wonderful. I wondered which I’d eat first, half amazed that this was an actual choice I had to make.

Life is certainly different being back. There’s milk in the refrigerator, heat at the push of a button, couches, showers and soap all readily available. The ease of it all can be almost too much to handle.

I thought of these things as I sat in the middle of the living room floor surrounded by my snacks. I pressed play on the Jackass movie I was about to watch, and I thought a lot about culture shock.