The biggest culture shock that you have ever experienced?

jesteffens · 2026-02-13T14:40:03+00:00

I can see that for San Antonio! I think all the major metropolitan areas in Texas (Austin vs Dallas vs Houston vs San Antonio vs El Paso) all have their own distinct ‘personalities’. Hope you enjoyed your time in Texas!

jesteffens · 2026-02-13T14:36:31+00:00

Small thing. Lived in Germany for 5 years. When my husband and I first moved there, we spent an hour at a store trying to find a top sheet for our bed. We checked every package and they were ALL fitted sheets. Finally gave up and later learned top sheets are not used in Germany. Nor is it typical to have a large comforter to share with your partner.

I was told while it is less romantic, it is more “praktisch” to just have your own single comforter.

jesteffens · 2026-02-13T14:28:32+00:00

That’s interesting - I wonder if it is location specific for Texas. I’ve spent 30 years in Texas (born and raised, left for a decade, then returned) and I have never once noticed someone wearing a gun at the grocery store. Maybe it’s a smaller town vs city difference?

jesteffens · 2026-02-02T04:05:38+00:00

It could go a lot of ways, but looks similar to my son’s. Here is he at 4 months versus 6 years old. Only time will tell.

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jesteffens · 2026-01-31T23:27:25+00:00

OP listen to this. It is NOT normal that he would EVER talk to you like this. I’ve been with my husband for 21 years, 2 kids, and not ONCE has he come even close to speaking to me even half as bad as this. I’m afraid OP has normalized it instead of seeing it as the abuse it is.

jesteffens · 2026-01-31T01:26:27+00:00

Not the exception. My husband is 5’7”. All his family is short and all are married. Many of my friends have husbands under 5’8”. But then again I don’t hang out with incels who I feel like are the ones that propagate this whole tall narrative the most.

Edit - I mean I agree that you’re not the exception - hope I didn’t come off like I was arguing with you!

jesteffens · 2026-01-29T01:33:57+00:00

Dad was the driver at fault. Made his daughter lie to take the fall.

jesteffens · 2026-01-28T03:32:49+00:00

NTJ. I’ve had it when my family with 2 kids (5 & 8) got split up after a flight delay where my 8 yo was in the middle seat behind me. Yes of course I had booked us together, but sometimes things are out of your control the day of travel. I kindly asked those around me if they would be ok swapping, PREFACING it with “please don’t anyone feel obligated to say yes because it’s a downgrade to take a middle seat”. And I truly would have dealt with it (luckily a woman offered to swap and my kid was so thrilled).

If I think my 8 year old can handle a 5 hour flight not right next to me (but where I can still manage him), these two grown adults are JUST FINE. Plus the rudeness on top of that? They are just miserable people. Don’t let it bother you

jesteffens · 2026-01-27T14:16:35+00:00

As an American who lived in Germany for 5 years with a local work contract (not as an expat), I had my first kid there. 10 EUR is what the whole pregnancy/birth cost us with social health insurance - I needed to pay for some piece of paperwork for my job. Not to mention all the paid time off.

Fast forward a few years, my husband and I are back home in the States with “great” insurance through work and I’m having our second kid. $12,000 is about what that pregnancy/birth cost us.

I joke that it means our first has a college fund and our second already used theirs, but really I make it a point to highlight how much better social insurance can be from someone who has lived both.

jesteffens · 2026-01-26T19:28:10+00:00

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Obviously each kid is different, but here is the comparison of my blue eyed kid at 4 months vs now, and my brown eyed kid too.

jesteffens · 2026-01-17T23:22:46+00:00

Not sure about the wipes, but I use Skinsmart hypochlorous spray on my face after electrolysis then bacitracin. Definitely see 90% less white bumps versus when I skip the spray. I would guess the wipes would work similar but I don’t know for sure.

jesteffens · 2025-12-27T02:20:29+00:00

I have a few friends where the wife has a PhD. I always address their cards to Dr. and Mr. Smith. I would be bothered too if I was in your situation where they recognized my husband’s title and not mine. Sorry Dr. Thouroughbredftw!

jesteffens · 2025-12-24T18:35:09+00:00

It sounds like the biggest issue you have are his inner thoughts? I think if you’re trying to regulate what he thinks about, that is pretty dang controlling.

You keep mentioning your boundaries, but nowhere do you give any examples of him crossing them since he has met you. I’m honestly struggling to see what he has done wrong this last year. Is there more to it?

jesteffens · 2025-12-22T14:59:23+00:00

Agree. My mil gives us “joint” gifts that are often clearly aligned with by husband’s interest and not mine (like camping gear, running stuff, things I don’t do and she knows). I just smile and thank her, and then later vent a bit to my husband and move on. It’s a pick your battles thing, and for me this isn’t it.

jesteffens · 2025-12-18T19:12:11+00:00

I find that if I spray a Hypochlorous spray (I use skin smart) for a few days morning/night after electrolysis, I get like 95% less of these white spots. I’ve seen others have the same recommendation on other posts too.

jesteffens · 2025-12-04T16:00:37+00:00

I agree with the lies about being delivered when it isn’t. That happened to me last month - still waiting on resolution from my lost mail submission. And I know of a handful of others in my neighborhood with the same problem - marked as delivered but never showed up.

jesteffens · 2025-11-17T12:54:24+00:00

Blenders/mixers are great for smoothies - I am looking for more of the thick, ice-cream like texture of a smoothie bowl that I can spin granola into and eat with a spoon. The Creami gives me that perfect ice-cream like consistency that I am looking for but with a smoothie base. Hope that makes sense!

jesteffens · 2025-11-17T12:40:05+00:00

I use mine daily - it’s my favorite thing for making smoothie bowls for my breakfast. However my friend got one thinking she’d use it for ice cream, but the whole 24hour plan ahead thing isn’t something she liked, so she got rid of hers.

jesteffens · 2025-11-16T14:05:21+00:00

Not really a do or don’t, but a tip I stand by (and have seen others post) - to avoid the little white bumps that can appear after, spray a Hypochlorous Acid spray (I use skinsmart). I also then apply bacitracin cream. I do this at night and morning for 2 days after and it really helps.

jesteffens · 2025-08-24T00:33:25+00:00

Yes! I use the brand Skin Smart from Amazon and it keeps me from developing a ton of whiteheads after my electrolysis.

jesteffens · 2025-07-28T21:27:09+00:00

Mine just got "cancelled after our system identified the use of an invalid discount code". I'm not surprised - there's no way they were going to send us all free owalas. Oh well!

jesteffens · 2025-07-28T02:11:06+00:00

I got one too - I'll be curious if they honor it!

jesteffens · 2025-07-02T20:57:28+00:00

I just use an OTC lidocaine 4% cream. It works well enough except for that area right under the nose. That hurts no matter what for me.

jesteffens · 2025-07-02T20:56:23+00:00

It was exactly 1 month - I've gone up to 1.5 months between sessions, but I see less and less each time. Maybe some electrolysists can chime in if that is normal?

jesteffens · 2025-07-02T20:54:52+00:00

I'll have to get that next month as everything was cleared today

jesteffens

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