I enlisted in the US Army in 1998 at 26 years old and came to Europe. It's now 2014, I'll turn 43 this year and I'm preparing to move back to the US. 16 years. 16 looooooooooong years. That's how long I've been living outside the US of A. It's very, very strange to think of how the US has changed since I've last lived there. To put things in perspective and to get things started, here are some interesting facts from 1998:
TOP 10 MOVIES:
Armageddon
Saving Private Ryan
Godzilla
There's Something About Mary
A Bug's Life
Deep Impact
Mulan
Dr. Doolittle
Shakespeare in Love
Lethal Weapon 4
TOP 10 SONGS:
Too Close ~ Next
The Boy is Mine ~ Brandy and Monica
You're Still the One ~ Shania Twain
Truly Madly Deeply ~ Savage Garden
How Do I Live ~ LeAnn Rimes
Together Again ~ Janet Jackson
All My Life ~ KC and JoJo
Candle in the Wind (Princess Diana Tribute) ~ Elton John
Nice and Slow ~ Usher
I Don't Want to Wait ~ Paula Cole
IN THE NEWS:
Europeans agree on single currency, called "the Euro".
US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania bombed.
President Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal erupts.
FDA approves viagra
Indonesian dictator Suharto steps down after 32 years.
German chancellor Helmut Kohl defeated by Gerhard Schroder
Good Friday Peace Agreement in Ireland
Autopsy on Chris Farley showed of overdose (duh)
Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn pleads no contest to drunk driving
Denver Broncos defeat Green Bay Packers in Superbowl XXXII
Philippine DC-9 crash kills all 104 aboard
"Titanic" wins big at Oscars
Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks play their first ever games as expansion teams
"Seinfeld"'s last episode
Hong Kong opens brand new Chek Lap Kok airport
France beats Brazil 3-0 for their first World Cup victory
Google is founded
MISCELLANEOUS:
US population is 268,921,733
Dow Jones closed at 9181
Average cost of a new house was $129,300
US Postage stamp cost .32 cents
Anyway, the next few months are bound to be very strange as I readjust to life back in the US. Since I've always enjoyed writing I thought it might be interesting to keep a blog/journal about how the transition is going for us. I've been back to the US a handful of times for work and such and each time I noticed that I feel more and more like a foreigner in my own country so I've decided to call this blog "An American Foreigner in America". I'll update it as I feel like it and welcome comments from anyone who feels like commenting.
Rik
TOP 10 MOVIES:
Armageddon
Saving Private Ryan
Godzilla
There's Something About Mary
A Bug's Life
Deep Impact
Mulan
Dr. Doolittle
Shakespeare in Love
Lethal Weapon 4
TOP 10 SONGS:
Too Close ~ Next
The Boy is Mine ~ Brandy and Monica
You're Still the One ~ Shania Twain
Truly Madly Deeply ~ Savage Garden
How Do I Live ~ LeAnn Rimes
Together Again ~ Janet Jackson
All My Life ~ KC and JoJo
Candle in the Wind (Princess Diana Tribute) ~ Elton John
Nice and Slow ~ Usher
I Don't Want to Wait ~ Paula Cole
IN THE NEWS:
Europeans agree on single currency, called "the Euro".
US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania bombed.
President Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal erupts.
FDA approves viagra
Indonesian dictator Suharto steps down after 32 years.
German chancellor Helmut Kohl defeated by Gerhard Schroder
Good Friday Peace Agreement in Ireland
Autopsy on Chris Farley showed of overdose (duh)
Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn pleads no contest to drunk driving
Denver Broncos defeat Green Bay Packers in Superbowl XXXII
Philippine DC-9 crash kills all 104 aboard
"Titanic" wins big at Oscars
Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks play their first ever games as expansion teams
"Seinfeld"'s last episode
Hong Kong opens brand new Chek Lap Kok airport
France beats Brazil 3-0 for their first World Cup victory
Google is founded
MISCELLANEOUS:
US population is 268,921,733
Dow Jones closed at 9181
Average cost of a new house was $129,300
US Postage stamp cost .32 cents
Anyway, the next few months are bound to be very strange as I readjust to life back in the US. Since I've always enjoyed writing I thought it might be interesting to keep a blog/journal about how the transition is going for us. I've been back to the US a handful of times for work and such and each time I noticed that I feel more and more like a foreigner in my own country so I've decided to call this blog "An American Foreigner in America". I'll update it as I feel like it and welcome comments from anyone who feels like commenting.
Rik
No comments:
Post a Comment