What I miss....!

8 days!

We are leaving quite soon for America, so I have lots of America longings that have lain dormant for more than a year that are starting to come up inside me. Aside from the very obvious things like seeing family and friends, here are some things I am so excited for in America….

1) Starbucks – we actually have a layover in London and the airport there has a Starbucks, so I’ll get that even before I hit American soil
2) Wendy’s Frostys. I decided during my year at Malone College that Frostys fix everything…haven’t been proven wrong yet
3) Walmart – need I say more…
4) Applebees
5) Crossing the street without risking my life
6) Turning on a TV and actually understanding
7) Understanding things in the grocery store
8) Going to a movie theatre and understanding
9) Understanding things period
10) Peanut butter
11) Chick-fil-et fries
12) My parents’ big Christmas tree
13) Driving
14) Sleeping on an actual bed as opposed to a mattress on the floor
15) A washing machine
16) Fluffy, machine dried towels
17) Scented candles
18) Elevators that don’t stink or shake as they move
19) Reliable internet
20) Reliable hot water

I could go on, but I’ll stop. In the more than 3 years I have been away from America, this is the most ready I have been to go home. I’m not the type to be homesick and I am happy with where we are and what we are doing here, but I’m ready for reuniting with my wonderful family and being surrounded by the familiar. There are things I will miss about Ukraine, too, mostly my friends, our students, and our own apartment. But all in all, I’m very ready to go home!