One thing I miss about America...

My car.  As I was crossing the city in a taxi yesterday with my head hanging out of the window (much like a dog),  I thought, "I miss my car."

Growing up in small-town WV, I did my fair share of riding in the back seat on curvy roads.  I got sick on every one of them.  I don't get sick on roller coasters, or tea cups that spin, or on boats during a storm, or planes, or when I turn in circles or someone spins me in a chair.  But put me in a moving car, and things go downhill.  

When I was a little girl, my grandfather used to try to remedy my ailment by getting me to drink Coke from a glass bottle.  I hated the taste of Coke.  No matter how much I insisted that it only made me feel worse, he would still pour it down my throat at every chance.  Eventually I figured out that chewing gum helped some, and that got me through a little better.  Used to be, I would be fine once I was out of the car and my feet were on the ground.   But this year, even that has changed...

I came woefully under-prepared for the amount of motion sickness I would deal with regularly here in Lebanon.  I've already had people mail me more Dramamine, twice.  

I have my theories as to why my carsickness has been worse:  maybe because I live in a big city so I'm in perpetual traffic.  Maybe because the Lebanese weave when they drive like their lives depend on it (and they actually probably do a little...).  Perhaps it's because I'm getting older, or because I live in another culture with new food and germs and so my stomach is already stressed most of the time.  I think it could be a lot of those things, but as I was riding through the city yesterday trying to gulp in fresh air, I thought, "I think it's also because at home I usually drive, and here I never do."  I miss my car.  I really, really miss driving, for really no other reason than it means I won't have to look at the car I'm about to get in and think "I'm about to fight off being sick."

Over the years I've tried many "remedies:" gums, bracelets  little magnet thingies...  Dramamine is actually my best bet, but it knocks me out.  I used to be able to take Less-Drowsy Dramamine if I needed to travel during the day, but lately it's also knocked me out.  Bah humbug.

So, although I will be very sad when I leave Lebanon for home, I think I'll breathe a sigh of relief when I can walk out to my own car, get in the driver's side, and go wherever I want and not have to worry about getting sick.  

This was just one of those difficult overseas adjustments that I didn't see coming...

[Carsick in Lebanese Arabic is بوخ., bdukh.]