Digging Deeper

Archaeologists are really good at finding stuff. Why? Because we never stop looking. If something is buried under the soil, we will find it, even if it takes generations. We are obsessed with finding stuff. And that obsession with discovering truth trickles down to other parts of our lives.

I haven't been actively excavating for a few years, except the project in Massachusetts that ended last summer. But, the skills I picked up for research are a vital part of my life. If I need to find out about something, anything, I will spend the day looking for the answer if I have to. Call it a problem, but this obsession with research has come in handy a few times.

Another skill we pick up in the field is always keeping our eyes open. Archaeologists are known for always looking down while we're walking outside. Its a habit. Somehow, that has gotten transferred to everyday life. For example, there is a list of things we need since we've moved here that are always in the back of my mind when we go places. One of those things is a coin bank. They use a ton of coins in the EU and they tend to get spread all over the house. It took us a while, but we found a bank in a grocery store. There's also a list of things people told us we wouldn't find here, so don't bother trying (never say that to an archaeologist!): crockpots, peanut butter, liquid baking vanilla, and baking soda. Ha! With a little digging, I've found everything on that list, except the baking soda. Sure, they don't sell Jiff, but the peanut butter here has hardly any sugar in it and therefore it's much healthier. You can also get it in chunky. We found the crockpot at another grocery store on an end cap. It's different from ours back in Akron, but will do the job just fine. Tonight I will make some Carnitas to test it out.

It's just like shopping in the United States, you just need to know where to go. For example, I know that the Giant Eagle in Cuyahoga Falls had a decent selection of Clif and Luna Bars, but the one in Fairlawn didn't sell any. But, if you wanted the special holiday flavors, you had to go to Appalachian Outfitters.

What we may consider staples may not be in much demand here, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. We just need to keep looking. In the process, we may find things we never knew existed that we can enjoy. Of course some items aren't very popular in the Luxembourgish markets, like BBQ sauce. While they sell some, it tends to taste like the stuff that comes with Chicken McNuggets. There, of course, is an opportunity to learn how to make our own!

For the most part, there is always an option available we just need to keep looking or in some cases think outside of the box. Luxembourg is not the United States, obviously. There shouldn't be anything shocking about that.

Different doesn't mean better or worse, and sometimes those differences can be inconveniences. But, if we embrace the differences, modify some things, and keep looking we will either find what we're looking for or discover new solutions that work just as well.

While I haven't found baking soda yet, I know it's out there. In the meantime, I've found recipes that don't require it and they taste just as delicious.