The scale of distance changes drastically from city to city and town to town in America. We spent the last week in Texas, San Antonio and Houston, and we rented a car for the second time this year. Even though we were going to be in urban centers, we needed an automobile to get around.... Continue Reading →
Things have changed in movie theaters. I learned this two weeks ago, and up to that point I hadn't been to a film in America in over 3 years. I only realized this gap in my experience when it occurred to me that I wanted to see Avengers: Age of Ultron, and didn't know how I should buy tickets. I... Continue Reading →
Lack of challenge and urgency takes away some of the seduction of exploration.
Part 1: race abroad As an expat, the problems of your nationality country are distant, and the problems of your resident country are not your fault. I saw things from afar; news in America was distant and even foreign. When I moved back to the states, one thing I knew would change is that I... Continue Reading →
Shocking fact about America: vacations usually are planned more than 2 weeks in advance. While living in Hong Kong, we would watch our emails for “Cathay Fanfares” in the hopes of snagging a flight to the Philippines, or Siem Reap, or Bali, or Kyoto, or Taipei for the weekend for a mere 100USD. Once a... Continue Reading →
I had a 7 hour layover in Vancouver, so I went downtown to sit outside and write, then ambled to a brewery pub for dinner. It was August, and I ate outside. I had a good meal and a nice beer. The waitress was fairly slow; I sat at my table with a menu, by... Continue Reading →
Over the last three years I spent 2 weeks in the USA, my country of citizenship. This meant I always received news from afar: reading news and talking to friends and family. The reality of life in the States was always remote. I didn't experience broadcast TV, the price of gas, talking with strangers or... Continue Reading →
Bombs went off in Boston at the Marathon. What? Why? Who are you? What? My friends live in Boston. I lived in Boston. People I love are in Boston. People I love went to Boston this week for the Marathon, for work, to see friends. My family will be in Boston this week. I am... Continue Reading →
A repatriated American, living in Chicago for the first time, occasionally writing about it.
jamielynnwaters 