So, what do I like best about living in America? The weather is the obvious answer. It really is wall to wall sunshine; it's warm - even in the winter we rarely needed a coat during the day - it doesn't rain, there's no wind - the met office here release a "wind advisory" if the wind speed is more than 25 mph - that wouldn't even get your washing dry in the UK! I love having the opportunity to get out and explore new places - we've had weekends in San Diego and San Francisco; we've driven up the Pacific Coast Highway, been to the Napa Valley, had a week in Hawaii. We're an hour to the beach and an hour to the ski resorts. Of course we've done Beverly Hills and Hollywood - but they are probably the least exciting places we've been to. There's so much more to see - America is vast!
And so are walk-in closets. Now that is one thing about living here that I really will miss when I have to return to the UK. My walk-in closet. My first walk-in closet came with our first US home - a 1950's 3 bed detached "ranch" (large bungalow) complete with swimming pool, and a one bedroom guesthouse which had been built in the backyard without a planning permit - basically it was illegal and we had to sign a disclaimer in the lease promising not to use it! Our house also came complete with a poolboy and a gardener. It had looked great on the internet and we were very excited! It was situated on one of those attractive, wide leafy avenues you see in American TV programmes, beautifully manicured lawns - very desperate housewife-ish. I imagined the neighbours popping in with their welcoming boxes of cookies....
It was all fantasy of course. The neighbours barely acknowledged our existence. The poolboy was a 50 year old Chinese man who spoke no English; the gardener was Mexican, and although he was very friendly, his command of English was just slightly above that of the poolboy. He wasn't actually gardener either - he was a "mow and blow man"- ie he was only paid to mow the front lawn and walk up and down the drive with his leaf blower. It was all a great disappointment.
The interior of the house was depressingly dark - dark wood flooring (Americans love their hardwood flooring), dark wood panelling, original dark 1950's fitted kitchen, and an original 1950's bathroom, with, yes you've guessed it "dark" green tiling. Yes all this darkness made it cool and shady- but I'm a Northern European on a two year holiday - I don't want cool and shade, I want light, airy and sunny!
Depression set in. There appeared to be only one solution - I had a large walk-in closet and I was going to use it. Shopping - bring it on! Oh yes, we were quickly learning how to live the American life!
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