Conveniences NOT to be taken for granted

I will be a far more grateful young lady when I return to the United States. My time in Ukraine has taught be that there were so many things I took for granted. I will list a few for you:

1. Clothes dryers.

Goodness me. Everything has to be line-dried, and that can sometimes take forever. Or, if you choose to do quite a lot of laundry on one given day, you may find all of your doors, door knobs, chairs, and other available surfaces draped with damp laundry. If you need your jeans or t-shirts to be shrunk a little bit to fit you, good luck! Oh yes, I will hug the first dryer I see.

2. Ziplock bags.

You can't buy them here. I hoard and stockpile them. I bet you've never really thought about how often you use them! Try going for a week without them. It's crazy to realize how handy those things are.

3. Dishwashers.

I am very thankful that my parents taught me to wash dishes at a very young age. However, I am EXCEEDINGLY tired of washing dishes all the time. Not too long ago, I decided to pile all of my dishes up until the end of the day. This is not very attractive, but I'd rather do it once than 3 times. Since there's only one of me, I feel that it isn't worth it to wash so many dishes. Lately, I've taken to using the same bowl for breakfast and lunch (this occasionally goes for forks, too). I know that makes me sound like a slob. I'm fine with that. If you object, you are more than welcome to come take over k.p.

4. Free refills.

They don't exist here.

5. Bathrooms that you don't have to pay for (and that come with toilet paper).

Many, many times, public bathrooms require a fee. Often, these bathrooms are equipped with non-western toilets. You should ALWAYS carry toilet paper or tissues with you, because you will often find the bathrooms ill-equipped.

6. Signs and Directions printed in English

I don't think this one needs any explanation.

This is, by no means, a comprehensive list. There might be a part 2 coming in the near future... It will most likely depend on my frustration/humiliation level. I'll keep you posted.