Let me start this by saying I know we are on a once in a lifetime adventure. I know we are very very lucky, blessed, and all of those good things. We are taking this time to see new things and enjoy the adventure as we go. I know in 20 years I will look back on this and remember all of the good things and still be in shock that we lived abroad for a year or so. But....once in a while there will be a bad moment or day that cannot be fixed.
While it may seem to some that we are on a permanent vacation, the truth is that we are living life...regular old life with meals that need to be cooked twice a day, groceries that need to be bought, a house that needs constant cleaning with 5 people living here, and laundry. All of things you do in your life, we are doing here....it's just a different country. Yesterday, I had an afternoon where it dawned on me that the things I miss so so much about the States are the exact things I may have taken for granted before.
The mood came out of nowhere. I spent the majority of the daylight with Ben at a cafe watching the Australian Open and enjoying lots of coffee. When we got home I all of a sudden had a moment that only a large diet coke from Chick-fil-a (in a glorious styrofoam cup with lots of ice) and a sports conditioning class at Sync Studio with Leigh Ann could fix. I needed America. All things American. Give me the stars and stripes and everything under that umbrella- fried food, Bud Light, crazy government, and familiar places.
At that moment I was flooded with thoughts of everything I miss so much ranging from food to English being spoken to my house and cotton sheets. There was no rhyme or reason why I missed these things. I have just been living without them for a month and suddenly felt like I could not go on without these things in my life.
I am not going to get any more Debbie Downer, but I'm saying all of this on a Friday so that you maybe take some time out of your day or weekend to try and enjoy something ordinary in your life. It may be spending time with your family. It may be eating out or even enjoying a home cooked meal in your own kitchen with all of the little things/tools you use to cook. It may be even driving down a street you see every day but never thought about. It's the little things. Not only do I miss my family and Dan's family and Finnegan, but I miss the States. It may be messed up in many ways and have plenty of issues, but it's still comforting. It's home.
There are many great things I will take away from our time in Malta and our overall time abroad. I am learning so much and getting to see so many things I would never have the chance to see. I just wasn't expecting such a deep downside yesterday. I guess it comes with the territory of change. The upside of my downside (if that's a thing) is the reminder for me to really enjoy each day here because I know there will be a day when I am back in America wishing I was somewhere far far away with a new adventure. Don't think of the grass being greener somewhere else...enjoy the green grass where you are.
Happy weekend everyone. Enjoy the little things (even if it's just for me) this weekend.
Until tomorrow...xo
While it may seem to some that we are on a permanent vacation, the truth is that we are living life...regular old life with meals that need to be cooked twice a day, groceries that need to be bought, a house that needs constant cleaning with 5 people living here, and laundry. All of things you do in your life, we are doing here....it's just a different country. Yesterday, I had an afternoon where it dawned on me that the things I miss so so much about the States are the exact things I may have taken for granted before.
The mood came out of nowhere. I spent the majority of the daylight with Ben at a cafe watching the Australian Open and enjoying lots of coffee. When we got home I all of a sudden had a moment that only a large diet coke from Chick-fil-a (in a glorious styrofoam cup with lots of ice) and a sports conditioning class at Sync Studio with Leigh Ann could fix. I needed America. All things American. Give me the stars and stripes and everything under that umbrella- fried food, Bud Light, crazy government, and familiar places.
At that moment I was flooded with thoughts of everything I miss so much ranging from food to English being spoken to my house and cotton sheets. There was no rhyme or reason why I missed these things. I have just been living without them for a month and suddenly felt like I could not go on without these things in my life.
I am not going to get any more Debbie Downer, but I'm saying all of this on a Friday so that you maybe take some time out of your day or weekend to try and enjoy something ordinary in your life. It may be spending time with your family. It may be eating out or even enjoying a home cooked meal in your own kitchen with all of the little things/tools you use to cook. It may be even driving down a street you see every day but never thought about. It's the little things. Not only do I miss my family and Dan's family and Finnegan, but I miss the States. It may be messed up in many ways and have plenty of issues, but it's still comforting. It's home.
There are many great things I will take away from our time in Malta and our overall time abroad. I am learning so much and getting to see so many things I would never have the chance to see. I just wasn't expecting such a deep downside yesterday. I guess it comes with the territory of change. The upside of my downside (if that's a thing) is the reminder for me to really enjoy each day here because I know there will be a day when I am back in America wishing I was somewhere far far away with a new adventure. Don't think of the grass being greener somewhere else...enjoy the green grass where you are.
Happy weekend everyone. Enjoy the little things (even if it's just for me) this weekend.
Until tomorrow...xo
Oh my goodness, girl! I know EXACTLY how you feel! I have had (and still have) many of these days! I want to be able to go the grocery and get eggs without feathers on them and pick out the cheese I need without guessing from the way it looks. I want bacon haha. I want a $1 large coke with lots of ice and free refills from a drive-through window. I want "cheap" electricity, water, and gas". There are SO many things I miss about America. Life is just so much easier there. People who haven't lived abroad don't understand how hard it can be...they just see the cool pictures of the cool places we go to some weekends...hang in there! Like you, I'm sure I will look back on our time here and be so glad we did it, but it's so hard while you are in the midst of it.
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