The Return of the American

Though I am more aware of what living in Aberystwyth is like, returning has still required some adjustment. It's not unlike driving a new car: you know what happens when you press the gas and the brake pedals, but things react differently than you might expect. Over time, though, you adjust to the new car, learning to ease or slam on the brakes as the case may be. The same can be said of returning to Aberystwyth. Now that it is no longer a completely foreign experience, I am more aware of a recalibration than an adjustment.

For instance, the phrase "meant to" is commonly used to replace the American "supposed to." For example, if one were to meet another and the first said he would call the second before arrival, but then didn't, the second would say, if American, "You were supposed to call before coming over." In Britain, the second person might reply, "You were meant to call before coming over." I find myself using the phrase "meant to" more and more, even in my internal monologue. Huh, my iPod is meant to charge when it's plugged in but it didn't. That's odd.

The same can be said for the word "sorted" which replaces the phrase "figured out." For example, a friend of mine has recently moved into her new flat and was going over all that she had done: "I've signed lease, moved up the furniture and unpacked. I'm sorted now." Likewise, when I got a new phone for my birthday, from said friend, my PhD supervisor said to me, "When you have the cellphone sorted, let me know the number." Much like the phrase "meant to," "sorted" has started to work its way into my day-to-day lexicon: I've got to get the tuition sorted so I can sort out the wiring. I hope my Mom has sorted out the transfer paper work.

And there are countless other words and phrases that, slowly, are working their way back into my vocabulary. This will create some amusing moments when I return to Chicago in December, much like it did when I returned in May.

A few days after I had arrived, Erika and I were discussing dinner.
"Do you want me to cook?"
"No. Let's go out."
"Okay, where do you want to go?"
"Well, I don't want to be out all night. So somewhere quick."
"Maybe we can go get some take-away."
Pause.
"What?"
"Take-away. You know, like some Chinese take-away. We could watch a movie and eat fried rice."
"You mean carry-out?"
Pause.
"You know, I think I do..."

I have to say, though, readjusting to a place has been far easier than first acclimating. I can walk into a store now and know what I am meant to do while there. I can sort out my library fines. I can even, if I fancy it, get some take-away to enjoy while watching the telly.