Becoming a local

It's the strangest thing, trying to develop a life for yourself in a place you'll only be staying for 3 months. On the one hand it's definately not a holiday, this is no two week beach vacation, but it's not like I'm moving here for 12 months or longer, so it's an unusual situation to be in. At this point I could head off on a long emotional and philosophical ramble about my attempt to live a full normal life 5000 miles from the place I call home for a relatively brief period of time, but I won't. Instead here is a brief guide to key indicators that you are settling in and on the way to normality (whatever that may be).

1) When you head to the cafe over the road for breakfast they know what you are going to order before you've said a word.
2) You are visiting a friend in hospital (hugs to you Janette).
3) You cycle between your two jobs and any social engagements you have lined up.
4) You are cycling through a major American city, at night, and shouting abuse at idiots who get out of the car on the road side without looking.
5)You have a cell phone that rings regularly.
6)You have a netflix account.
7) When wearing jeans that are long enough to drag on the floor you know which puddles on the pavement are not to be walked through as you'll actually get a turn up full of homeless blokes pee.
8) Doing the laundry becomes a job that you are trying to 'fit in'.
9) You are reading the local paper and are actually interested in disruptions to the underground system.
10) You walk into a bar and you're asked if you would like 'your usual'

The next step is having the bills arrive addressed to me, but I'm happy to hold on that one for a while , my turn will come soon enough !