Already Jenny has spent more time in the US than I did in the Philippines. She has a better grasp of cultural norms here, which include shoving people on the train platform for seats and spending far too much money at the dollar store on items to fill your trash bag.

But there are a few positive things about this country we call home, together. For instance, Jenny gets to appreciate the smaller things like autumn foliage and the occasional dwarf.

We haven’t seen any super tiny people yet. I’d imagine they’d make Jenny feel more at home as the Philippines is filled with people that can fit between my toes. Brightly colored leaves with shades of red, yellow, and orange are a whole new experience for her. The Philippines is flush with green. The US plants are different colors until they die and have no tone at all.

Autumn in the US is far different than anything they have in the Philippines. For one, instead of Halloween, they have The Day of the Dead. This is a day spent with family visiting the graves of those who passed. Our Halloween is similar with the biggest difference being we all dress up as sexy something-or-others and eat Snickers given to us by strangers.

The weather has continued to be a challenge for my future wife. Worse, I laugh at her use of the metric system. Where does she think we are: anywhere in the world other than the US or Guam? I’m pretty sure Guam is the only other place that uses miles.

Yet somehow even when she’s fa-reezing cold on an otherwise mild day, Jenny finds the time to appreciate parts of this world many take for granted. She’s mesmerized by the trees that Americans let blend into the background. To us, trees are there to lynch our enemies and pee on. When our enemies are especially different from us, we pee on them too.

In such a cruel world it’s great to be around someone who enjoys the beauty around us. I forgot how amazing trees could look. More than appreciating them, I appreciate my fiancée and how unlike so many others she can take a deep breath and see the beauty right next to is whether it’s a colorful tree or a smiling midget.