you don't know what you've got til it's gone ...

I went to the states for a few hours yesterday! It was a great! A trip to the mall, followed by watching a movie in english, and ending with some delicious ice cream from baskin robbins. That hit the spot. I also decided to splurge a the grocery store this morning and picked out some Fuji apples (my fav). They are a bit pricey here (since they still come from Washington). But a snack of apples and peanut butter was a surprising blast from the past and I couldn't believe how great it tasted after 7 months without.


Sometimes I get in moods where all I can think about are the things I miss from home/what I want to do while there. At those times I seem to want:
-ice cream, waffles, blueberries, and chocolate
-the convenience of not having to take public transportation/living away from civilization
-watching the news/having a clue what's going on in the world
-understanding what everyone is saying all around me ... all of the time!
-being with my family and friends


But then I try to reconcile those feelings with things that I'm sure I will miss from here like:
-year-round watermelon, pineapple, oranges that come from close places
-warm milk, fresh eggs, and chicken that I can visit before they kill them
-not being addicted to internet/technology ... and not really worrying if the power goes out or if the water's turned off
-speaking spanish!
-being hugged daily (many times over) by these really precious kids
-walking to my job/wherever I need to go
-not being bombarded by tv/commercials/the stressful overindulgence that is US culture ...

And on a totally different note -- in these pasts months I have learned how to make:
-flour tortillas
-scones
-pizza crust/easy bread
-cinnamon rolls

So perhaps when we do see one another again I can cook for you ... and then we can go out for ice cream! :0)

By the way ... tomorrow is FEBRUARY -- CRAZY!!

And it's my grandmother's birthday today!