Luxurious Living

Things Americans probably don't realize are luxuries, but they are:

1. Blended water. Sinks here don't mix the water - in fact some still have hot water out of one spigot and cold out of another. This has already received a bit of blog time. I really enjoyed having water the temperature I wanted it while visiting the States.

2. Vanities in the bathroom. I have zero counter space in my bathroom. From what I can ascertain, that is fairly standard here. It was so nice to be able to spread my things out as I was getting ready in the morning.

3. Electrical sockets in the bathroom. It is against code here to have an electrical outlet in the bathroom with the exception of the "shaver" outlet that has the wrong plug for other appliances. As I was taking over the above mentioned vanity it was great to be able to dry my hair and plug in my curling iron right there.

4. Big mirrors in the bathroom. (Does anyone see a theme?) While plugging in my aforementioned curling iron on the big vanity, I was actually able to see me while I was getting ready. This is BIG! Normally, I have to stand on tip-toe to see from my nose up in the little bitty, too high, oval shaving mirror that I currently have.

5. A washing machine taller than my kitchen counter and wider than 2.5 feet. Hooray for big loads of laundry. And the dryer . . . oh, the dryer. Soft clothes in minimal time. Wow.

These are a few of the luxuries that I enjoyed while home visiting the US. They are all things that I can live without - and I do on a regular basis - but it sure was a treat to have them for a few days. Now I'm going to rejoice in all of the money I save by not having a dryer - that thought alone makes crunchy clothes enjoyable.