Transitioning from Ireland to America

The heat!! That was the first thing I remember about arriving in America. Stepping off the plane at Tulsa airport was the moment I realized that it was going to be awhile before I would adapt to the climate. I had come from a comfortably cool, wet climate and after a nine-hour flight I felt like I had stepped into an oven.

            After some time living here I was happy to learn that adapting to the climate would be my biggest struggle. Everything seemed to be much easier than I expected. Still there are plenty of cultural differences that took some getting use too. I was taken back by the size of everything over here. The roads are much wider, the majority of vehicles are much larger, and of course the food portions are double what you would usually get in Ireland (not complaining). The country as a whole is huge; one of my first college soccer games was a six-hour drive. To get from one side of Ireland to the other would usually take about four-hours so travelling for that long was not something I was accustomed to.

            Thinking back I feel sorry for the people who tried to speak to me the first few months I was here. I am sure they had a tough time understanding me. Back then I spoke much quicker and spoke words that only people from Ireland would understand. Since then I have adapted to some southern lingo and have slowed down when I speak so people don’t look at me with a blank stare when I say something.

            Not seeing my family and friends on a daily basis obviously took some getting use to. It is a strange feeling when the people that know you most are not around. Fortunately I met a lot of great people in my first few weeks here, everybody was so friendly and helpful. Skype and Facebook help things as well, I am always kept up to date with everything that is going on at home.

            So the transition from Ireland to America really wasn't too bad. Both being English speaking countries made everything a whole lot easier. The welcoming Oklahoma's have made me feel right at home. I miss Ireland a lot but I am loving my time in the US. I look forward to seeing what the future holds and where I will end up, but until then I will enjoy my time here and carry on my pursuit of getting used to the heat. 

Challenge of the Week

My challenge for you is to learn a new recipe from a different country and attempt to make the dish.