Trapped in a "Beautiful Alpine Village"

An adventure, yes. I just re-read my previous post and thought, wow, I guess I was in a good mood that day! There is something about culture that is ingrained into our very being, and there are those of us who have it even more tightly woven. How can I explain this? American culture as I have experienced it, excites me. Maybe it was growing up in LA, maybe it was just having a good childhood and a positive outlook on life, but in this small quiet "village" in France, I find myself longing for home. Really longing. It's not a longing that misses family and friends, although that is of course there as well. It's a longing that misses my culture. Do you know what I mean? It's a longing that misses being understood when you talk, not being thought of as uneducated becuase of your level of communication ability. It's a longing for familiarity. You know how the 10 freeway will always be backed up, regardless of if it is 3 in the morning? And you know how you know that if you have a craving for a Frappacino, there are at least 5 Starbucks within a mile of your house that would happy to provide you with one. Ever had those nights when you had a hard day and your husband or roommate is gone, and you curl up on your couch and flip on Nick at Night and watch old reruns of Full House and the Cosby Show? Have you ever gone to Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrell and just walked around for an hour pretending it was actually your house?

Yeah, well, that stuff, that's the stuff I miss. It's not something that I can explain. Are there daily traffic jams that I know about here in Chambery? Sure. Are there a million little coffee shops to get your caffine fix for the day? Of course! Do we have nearly 200 channels available on our TV because of our internet deal? Yes! Are there lots of fun stores to visit (okay, not really, but just pretend)? Sure. But it's not the same...Why not? It's a different culture. Yeah, the people are white and black and they do western sort of things, the food isn't all that weird, and manners are often similar. But it's not home. The things that are different are unplaceable. But for example, when I received a package from my mom this morning, aside from lots of other fun stuff, there were three things in there that actually made me cry. The first was a set of Turkey-shaped salt and pepper shakers (really cute, thanks mom!). Yeah, you know, the kind they start putting out in the beginning of August when Thanksgiving is still three months away? The second thing was a stuffed hedgehog (I like hedgehogs) that you squeeze and it makes little kissing noises. The third, a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. Yes, these things actually made me shed tears! See, despite the fact that we mock the array of fall clothing and merchandise in the store windows in July, you miss it when it's gone! It's a commonality that we all share as Americans. And the hedgehog? I love that we make stupid stuffed animals that say "squeeze me" on them that fill up our shelves and make us laugh. Yes, it's consumerism at it's worst, but you know what, you'd miss it! And the soup, yeah, we can't get that here. I grew up cooking with it, I mean it doesn't get more down home than that. And that's the one that really made me lose it...My culture, mailed to me in boxes so that I can have some semblance of my old life with me here. So sad...Okay, it's not the end of the world, and yes, people do adapt, but I believe I may just be one of those people who has my culture woven into my very being and will always be longing for the familiarity of home. I'm not, like, the kind of person who you would really call "open to change," if you know what I mean, making my life here and in Chad even more of an adventure! Well, don't forget to really take in the beauty of those traffic jams on your evening commute tonight; just for me!