When people ask me how I am doing after moving to the states from Mexico, I usually highlight all the wonderful things that have happened since our arrival. The many places we have visited, the people we have met, and the memories we have created are just a few of the amazing experiences we have had.
What I don’t mention often are the differences that I have come across while living here that have been a little bit of a challenge; things that have been a bit more tricky to get adjusted to. Here are three challenges I have faced since moving to the U.S.
Weight Measurement
When my youngest daughter was born, the nurses told me she weighed 5 lbs, 15 oz. and I had no idea (at least off the top of my head), whether that was acceptable. I immediately grabbed a calculator and did the math. (I needed to convert from pounds to kilos in order to understand if that was a healthy weight or not.)
Whenever I go to my child’s well-check appointments, I always have my calculator handy because I know I will need it. Not only do I need to convert pounds to kilos, but I also need to convert inches to centimeters.
Temperature
When I talk about temperature, I’m referring to both the climate and the temperature scale. In Mexico, for the most part, it was hot and dry, especially during the summer. There is not as much rain as there is here so it’s been hard for me to get used to the frequent afternoon showers. I have learned to carry an umbrella everywhere.
With regards to the temperature scale, I know general guidelines, such as 100 degrees Fahrenheit is extremely hot weather and 40 degrees Fahrenheit and under is cold (at least from my perspective). But I am used to reading temperatures in degrees Celsius, so it’s been quite an adjustment having to learn a new temperature scale.
Shoe Sizes
This has been the hardest thing for me, especially when I want to buy shoes for my daughters! I still cannot grasp the idea that there are same sizes of shoes but in different denominations. For example, there is a 5T shoe size (for littles) and 5 “regular” shoe size (for older kids). I have to confess, I have to carry a cheat sheet on my phone to understand what size I am buying.
For all of you who have moved from one state to another, most of the things that I mentioned don’t change, but I am sure you have seen some differences, as well (things like accent, food, animal life, and scenery). But moving from a whole different country brings with it quite a few more challenges.
