Things we love about America

There are plenty of things to love about America. And, when you've been away for a while, you realize how much you appreciate things you once took for granted. Here are some things we love about this great country, without getting into anything too metaphysical:

• Internet!!!--We have been thoroughly enjoying consistent, unlimited, high-speed internet since we've been back in the States. That's definitely not the norm overseas, even in places you might think it would be. 
• Decent sized trash cans--I realize that we are an exceptionally trashy family, but many of the places we stayed overseas had household trash cans no bigger than a 2-quart pitcher.
• Amazon Prime videos and music--We were unable to access our Prime perks overseas, and we have been so happy to have that back in our lives.
• Not having to chase down someone to pay the check at a restaurant--Some might consider it a good thing to be left alone by the waiter, and to a certain extent that's true. But there were so many times when we had been finished with our meal for a very long time and could not find anyone to take our money so we could leave. In fact, many waiters seemed to avoid us completely when it was time for the check. We would literally have to hunt someone down and practically force them to take our money.
• Roomy showers with reasonably high water pressure and plenty of hot water--This needs no explanation. 
• Dishwashers and dryers are standard in most places--We do not consider either of these things necessities, but they are so nice to have and definitely make life a little easier. 
• Iced drinks--I'm not sure why ice hasn't really caught on overseas, but we like our drinks cold and appreciate the abundance of iced drinks here in the good ol' U.S.A.
• Large drinking cups--I don't know if we're just abnormally thirsty or if we just need more room for ice, but we like larger cups and glasses for drinking. For some reason, most of the cups and glasses overseas seem better suited for a doll's tea party. 
• Drip coffee makers--I guess the rest of the world just doesn't drink as much coffee as Americans do, but the one-cup stovetop percolators and French presses are just not very convenient or expedient for brewing multiple cups. Plus, they are messy and hard to use and don't make great coffee in my opinion. 
• Sturdy eggs--This seems like a funny one, but there was truly a difference in the quality of eggs overseas, whether store-bought or farm fresh. The shells and yolks in many of the places we visited were super fragile and really hard to work with. 
• Top sheets--To me, a bed just feels cozier with a top sheet between the covers and me. Plus, if it happens to be hot, you can be covered up without the bulk and heat of a blanket, comforter, or duvet. Most of the rest of the world does not see a need for the top sheet, which is just sad. 
• Window screens--It's so nice to let in a cooling breeze without sending out an open invitation for every bug within a 10-mile radius.