I Can't Use a Dishwasher
Biharkeresztes, Hungary

This home has the first dishwasher I've seen since I last visited my parent's house (back in 2007). I'm actually starting to think that in nearly three full years of travel this is the only one I've ever seen outside of the United States.

Nice kitchen

It may sound silly, but try as hard as I might, I just can't seem to load anything into it. I'm stuck so far in the rut of washing and rinsing dishes, pots and flatware by hand that I think I'm incapable of using one.

Josef tells me to put things in there—it saves on water compared with the manual method, he tell me. I believe him, but I just can't seem to. I'm on automatic when the table is cleared and it's time to wash things up. I'm not accustomed to having access to excess in such a way that things can remain dirty and unusable for a period of time.

Before living out of a backpack, I can't remember a time in my life when I (or my household) lived without a dishwasher and sink garbage disposal. But these things just don't exist in my world now, and I've long since lost any yearning for them.

Look at me now—I can't even use a dishwasher when one's been made available to me.