Post Mission to Cyprus

Here we are - home again. WOW! Can we say, "Culture shock?" The adjustments are just beginning. We have been mostly resting and sorting our belongings, trying to find a place to store things.

We went to COSTCO the second day we were home as there was no food in the house at all. We gave Ramona and Dan and family almost all of our food storage when we left, so we barely had anything available. We stocked up on canned goods since we hadn't been able to grow a garden in the past two and a half years.

Unbelievable! We sold our BIG house in Los Angeles, CA, moved to a small one-bedroom apartment in Hollywood and divided our time between LA and our new home in Lancaster. Mainly refurbishing and painting and cleaning. We didn't really live here until about a month before we left on our mission. So now everything old is new again! Ha!

Not hearing Greek spoken or reading any street signs in Greek has been a shock! I keep translating everything from English into Greek, how funny is that?

I'm certain we will settle in/down fairly soon. The sleep deprivation we experienced while on our mission has taken it's toll on both of us, and we are trying to keep from having any meltdowns in the interrum, until we have recovered.

We have already eaten a steak dinner at Black Angus and had In N Out Burgers too! The steak dinner tasted like it was made in Heaven! We haven't had any decent beef since we left home, only pork, chicken and fish. Cyprus is the island of pork! And yet they do not have decent hams or bacon at all.

The fourth night we were home I set out to prepare a lovely enchilada dinner, with rice and beans and salad, but whilst I was toasting the rice in my rice pot it suddenly for no reason EXPLODED! Yes it did! It blew up rice and oil in my face, which also flew all about the kitchen and family room. SCARY! Tony cleaned it all up while I sat on the sofa in a daze. Later I realized I was in shock. My upper body ached so badly from the tension and adrenalin rush I experienced. I am recovered today (the next day), and am a little apprehensive about cooking. Of course today we will go to Walmart and get new pots and pans - I will NEVER use my old ones again! Lesson learned.