Um, hello, yes. There's always something to be missed while living abroad or simply outside of the place you are most familiar with. Firstly, it's just a dead given that I miss people; I miss people even when I live in the USA. So, although I could go and list them all---I'll stick to ideas or tangible items.
Currently, I am in a unique position because not only am I living abroad, but I am living on an island. So, I consider myself even further into the bowels of limitation. I mean, when the perfectly legitimate answer to a question is, "Because the boat hasn't come in" or "Because the avocados rotted on the boat" or "It's expensive, because broccoli is an import"---you kind of realize you're not exactly in the most accessible of regions. No matter how desperate you get, it's not like you can jump in the car and drive 30 minutes to the next store over if you can't find what you need. If it's not in the store and not in town....it's not on the island.
Nonetheless, there is a list of things that I have missed in the past and that I currently miss, most of which are not simply island related. So, here we go....things I miss:
The smell of freshly dried clothes. I mean, if your clothes don't have a totally dank smell from natural island drying....it's like Christmas. A dryer much less dryer sheets would be like...I mean, wow! Sham-wow even! (Note: I opt to not have my clothing laundered. Washers and dryers definitely exist here...I just opt out of paying my meager salary to have my clothes possibly damaged). So, pulling warm clothes out of the dryer and sniffing in "fresh mountain breeze"...well, priceless.
The smell of freshly cut grass. Yes, I noticed this while I was living in Spain. People didn't have lawns, so walking one day I smelled something that was SO exuberant and exotic....and I realized that it was simply a patch of grass that had been buzzed why a weed-eater. I stood there for a minute....just taking it in. It was in my mind the smell of summer and the buzz of cicadas while sitting under an oak tree.
BBQ's and bonfires. Yeah, the smell of burgers, hot dogs, and charcoal in the cool night air....mmmmmm. It is definitely missed. I COULD light a fire here, but I'm not really eager to find out what the inside of a Galapagueno prison looks like.
Blending in. I don't blend in.....ever. I will always be a commodity or an "outsider" no matter how much I try to acclimate or however good my Spanish is. This blonde hair and blue eyes....well, I mean...yeah. (Note: When I return to the USA, I will be annoyed by the fact that I look like every other second person next to me, and that I can't play the "Gringa card"....ever. The grass is always greener......).
Goat cheese. Let me say, I don't ACTUALLY like goat cheese. However, I saw it listed in a recipe online and my stomach apparently knew there was NO WAY in hell that I was getting any type of exotic cheese on this island. I have been craving it ever since....
Drinking from a water fountain or the tap. It's all bottled or purified of this end. And, you'd better rinse your produce with it as well, because, well parasites. (Mmmmmmmmmm, yes....delish!)
Throwing my TP in the toilet. Yep, I'm going to be THAT girl who comes back to the states and is having a panic attack because there's no trash can to toss my kleenex in. I mean, you potentially risk clogging the entire system (not a joke) by throwing that little piece of paper in there. Don't mind things of larger substance that the system handles....but, for some reason the TP will do it.
Turkey. Yes, I miss turkey. It's chicken or ham or fish...... Turkey is exotic. Don't even THINK about an affordable Thanksgiving if you are on the mainland, and it's absolutely out of the question if living on this island!
Diet Dr. Pepper and Chai Tea. 'Nough said.
24-hour ANYTHING. This is a larger city phenomenon....so, a snack from CVS is out of the question.
Ice Cream. The ice cream here is weird, no, not weird....let's be correct and say unique (unique = lame). I was stuffed but still decided ice cream was in store (A joint effort by Emily and I to assuage the loss of our friend Liz who returned to the states). My plan was to push off the top of the ice cream swirl, especially because it was melting all over my hand, and eat the ice cream inside the cone. My companera Emily looked at me funnily when I leaned over into the bushes to push the melting mess off with my tongue. I stood there, shocked, and confused when the ENTIRE ice cream swirl came out. I looked down in my cone and it literally looked like I had broken my ice cream in half inside the cone, leaving the tiniest piece. Weirdest AND most disappointing thing....ever.
Hot Showers. Yes, wow. Yes. How I miss these.... My room doesn't really have functioning hot water, although the room next to me where I stayed my first night has it. I stare at the wall longingly sometimes wishing I could push through it to get to the goods. When a spritz of freezing cold water hits your face at 11pm....it doesn't exactly put you in "relax for bed" mode. During the day, you willingly jump in the shower to cool off. But, man....I miss it like whoa.
Chocolate and peanut butter. This is a VERY USA phenomenon. And, god is it a good one....
Carpet and/or wood floor. Yes, stretching out on something other than stone or tile....I mean, what a luxury! Plus, I HATE sweeping with vehement passion. God bless the vacuum!
The list realistically could go on and on about things and people I miss, but everything is survivable and there are a million other things to make up for things I feel lacking. I mean, trading McDonald's frozen yogurt for a breath taking sunset, or missing my beloveds in order to form new, lifelong friendships, or giving up dryer sheets for getting to use my Spanish every single day..... Well, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Not yet anyway....
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