If you've ever spent any extended time outside the United States (and Canada), you've may have had to adapt to washing your clothes differently than the way that you're used to. The first six months I lived in Mexico, for example, I had to wash my clothes in a bathroom sink and leave them to dry all over the place I was staying because there were no laundry facilities. I've also hand washed on my trips to Peru, Guatemala, and China (and I'm sure others that I can't remember). Hand washing is just one of those travel experiences that's hard to get away from.
Living overseas in Spain, Japan, and Colombia, I didn't have to hand wash my clothes because there was a washing machine in each place. Now that I'm in the U.S. though, I've realized that I'm getting spoiled again...see...we have washers AND dryers here:
When you're overseas and your chones are dirty, before you start a load, you need to consider things like the time of day, the weather, and if there's enough space outside to hang everything. I forgot how nice it is to be able to decide pretty much at any time that I want to wash some clothes. I have had the "but-dryers-are-wasteful" conversation while in Spain, which I partially agree with, but it's so hard not to worship the magic that is the clothes dryer. All hail the great and powerful dryer! I'll be right back, I'm gonna' throw a load in...
Hahaha, what an ode! Frankly, now that I left the US, I hang the family wash outside more often than not; nothing beats the smell of the clothes that dried in the fresh mountain air...and yes, I do own a dryer. :)
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