24 observations from our first 24 hours

We have just returned to the U.S. for about a month for Jonathan to do some contract work and to see some family. It has been roughly eleven months since our last trip here--and our eyes have become accustomed to the Nicaraguan view. So here are 24 observations that jumped out during our first 24 hours "stateside" in no particular order.

1. The shoulders here are wider than the roads there.
2. Neon. So many electric lights everywhere.
3. Hot water comes right out of the sink!
4. Boarding plane in Managua: 88 degrees. Exiting plane in Austin: 34 degrees
5. Went to buy post-it notes: there were a DOZEN options to consider. Repeat that experience for every decision.
6. We can read ALL the street signs--and quickly!
7. The buildings are so far apart.
8. After accepting #3--we saw a CAR WASH with hot water. Yep--hot water, for CARS.
9. Blankets and coats: they're not just for decoration any more
10. Donuts. That's for real.
11. Even downtown...so quiet. Absolutely zero public address systems advertising anything.
12. Bureaucracy: It can still take all day to get something done...but the waiting room ambiance is so much nicer.
13. Here, if someone has two of an item, they have a spare. In Nicaragua, it automatically qualifies them as a store.
14. TV channels? All English.
15. Car rides do not require a sports bra.
16. Meat
17. Everything is sooo big. There is so much empty space around everything--around buildings, around parked cars, around pieces of furniture in a house... empty space everywhere!
18. Inhaling that first plate of Tex-Mex like a shipwrecked sailor locating his first fresh water.
19. My poor digestive system, overwhelmed by that plate of Tex-Mex.
20. Boy howdy, these 'Merican ladies love them some gigantic scarves.
21. Free refills. That's a thing.
22. Technology everywhere! The gas pumps, and fast food joints are covered up with flat screens and computerized interfaces.
23. The roads are so smooth, and traffic free. And you can go so fast if feels like flying.
24. Cheese. It's everywhere. And even better than I remembered.