Regrets

In an international expat group (and by that I mean it was for any expat anywhere on the globe, not just in NL) someone asked if people had regrets about the items they had taken with them to their current country. For the person posing the question their regret was that they had taken an electric blanket to Thailand. Not exactly something that will get a lot of use there for sure.

That question got me to thinking and I realized that my regrets lie in what I DIDN'T bring with me to NL. I don't think there's a single thing I brought with me that I wish I hadn't.

An area of regret lies in the kitchen. I was not 1 for doing a lot of cooking back in the US. I had a full-time job and by the time I got home I wasn't interesting in spending 45 minutes making a meal that would be consumed in 10. So, most of my meal planner centered around pre-made things or anything that could go in the microwave. So, I naively assumed that I just wouldn't need most of what was in my kitchen. Gone went the nice cheese grater and "slap chopper". To hell with my measuring cups! What use would I have for colander?!? Things were donated/told/tossed at alarming rate because I just wasn't going to need them, right?

Well, here in NL we don't have a microwave. Hubs has offered more than once to get one, but we don't really have the available counter space for it. Secondly, food tends to be a bit pricier here in NL than back home (then again, EVERYTHING tends to be pricier). Thirdly (and lastly) I don't have a job and because of that I want to keep expenses down by preparing the meals myself and I have a lot of free time to do that.

And, so, most of the kitchen items I so carelessly disposed of would have been of much use here in NL. I HATE wasting money and every time I have to purchase and item I had owned in the US it bugs the ever living crap out of me. UGH!!