Simplicity

Having been blessed to live in the U.S. for the last 25 years can really skew your view on life. Don't get me wrong it has been AMAZING but you start to think that everything that isn't like the life back home is wrong or weird. In the last week I have really taken a very different view on a few things. Think about these the next time you are out running around, appreciate these little things we have because I have to say I didn't really think twice about them.

1. The IPHONE!!!!! So my phone for obvious reasons doesn't work here so I have been phone less. I do carry it with me just in case of emergency because I can still call or text but it cost about $4, 452 for a text. I am so accustom when waiting for an appointment to jump on my phone; when I can't sleep I jump on facebook; when I am waiting in line at the grocery store checking my email.....Here there is A LOT of waiting. It is island style and you have to have a lot of patience. So it has been a bit of shell shock when I am waiting to not either call someone or jump on my phone.

CHALLENGE: next time you are waiting don't immediately grab your phone to chat, text or surf! You are left alone to just think and look around. Quite nice...

2. Multiple items!!! At home my mom has several coffee cups, several plates, lots of cups like most Americans. Here Ty and I only have a handful of plates (5), a few more cups (7) and 1 coffee cup. At home when there is a dirty cup in the sink you reach for one in the cabinet or reach from the dishwasher for a clean cup. Here we do not have a dishwasher so if my one coffee cup is dirty before I can enjoy my morning cup I have to hand wash my cup :) Ty is so good about splitting chores.... I think he got this from his parents who have a super relationship and really split all duties. Tyler and I trade off on doing the dishes and it works really well.

CHALLENGE: Next time you are about to cook dinner or eat and you reach for a new cup look to see how many dirty cups or plates are in your sink or dishwasher. SHOCKING!!

3. NO CAR!!!! So this one anyone who lives in a big city can relate to but I have had a car since I was 17. So here anytime we need to go run an errand we have to go to the school bus stop. They have buses that are supposed to come every 20-30 min, but remember its Island style so patience. So if we need to be somewhere at exactly 7:00 we really have to make sure we are a good 20-30 min early at the bus stop just in case. You also have to really think trips out, I won't just run out to the store for ONE item but we keep a list so we go to the store maybe twice a week and only carry the grocery's that fit in our hands :)

CHALLENGE: Count how many times you jump in your car for errands a week. I used to run errands so many times a week and just add stops to my list while I'm driving.

4. STORES OPEN LATE!!! Grenada works on Island time, so there is NO Walgreens that is open 24 hours, no McDonalds open late if you need a snack, no Walmart for ANYTHING you could possibly imagine. Here everything closes at 9PM, which sounds late but think about how many times you ran out of bread, or feel sick and need meds, I have found myself cooking or cleaning and thinking about running out to grab something, then I remember where i am. Also Ty and I sometimes eat very late, and here that doesn't work as well if you want to pick something up fast. Sundays almost everything is closed except for the grocery store every other store is closed!!!

CHALLENGE: Watch how many times you walk into a store past 8:55 to pick something up or grab some type of food! I was always running errands pretty late!!!

So This was a SUPER long post but I wanted to share all of the great things I have noticed being here in Grenada. The next time I am home I will now appreciate the little things a bit more now having lived here. Don't get me wrong its great being down here simplicity is key in Grenada and its a great change from the norm, but I sure do miss my Target :) I will post some Grenada pictures soon!!!