I Adore....

I've had a week and a half now to adjust to being home again (albeit temporarily-- a week and a half of leave to go!). I adore so many things about being home. Here is a short list:

1. My family. I got to spend time over the last week with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. My cousins and I were raised to be close, and I love them so much. The hardest part is seeing how downhill my grandmother's health has gone. Dementia is terribly sad. It's tragic we can become so lost in our own mind. I know many of you have also gone through this with someone you love, and you know how sad it is.

2. Bathtubs. I love hot baths, and I have been indulging myself frequently!

3. Indoor heat and instantaneous hot water. What a treat!

4. Clothing in my size; I forgot I'd ever fit into clothes sold on the rack again. I've been enjoying trying on summer dresses and finding cute, simple things to take back with me for my last summer in the furnace of Chongqing.

5. Hummus and greek yogurt, and other assorted foods from this part of the world. Salsa and corn tortillas and cheese (together or separately). So delicious.

6. I like this song, and I can hear it on VH1 all morning long.

7. Sunshine! I'll never take it for granted again.

8. No Great Firewall to block the internet. And that's all I'm going to say about this.

Mixed blessings:

1. Quiet time. Boy, it sure is quiet here. It's quiet in my house, it's quiet in my car, it's quiet in the store and in the restaurant, and there's nobody on the street at all. It's nice, but...it's also a little disconcerting how easy it is to avoid other human beings here. Chaos can be a nice reminder you're alive and a part of humanity.

2. American junk food is delicious. I'm trying to indulge in tiny bites and small doses. It's possible to lose your taste for fake fat and sugar, but it's also possible to get it back! Lime tortilla chips, you are my weakness.

3. Elevators. Buildings in China don't have elevators unless they are over 8 stories. All those stairs keeps your legs and butt in good shape. I already feel like I'm going soft. I take the stairs as often as possible, but there are only three stairs to my front door. I miss the four flights I have to walk up to my apartment several times a day.

4. I don't really care for driving. It's convenient, but gosh, you really have to pay attention! I like being able to get on a bus and zone out for an hour.

Things that I the opposite of adore...

1. I miss my students. I can't wait to see them again. I know I have said this before, but I am going to spend the rest of my life thinking about them and hoping they are okay. They have sent me little messages by email, and they are so cute.

2. I miss my Chongqing boys. And R. This is a small taste of what will happen in July when I leave for good, and it makes me sad. And the guy I adore in China? I still adore him. At least now I know it wasn't the choggles!

3. I kinda miss my hard China bed. I got used to it, and now this softer bed is giving me backaches.

4. I miss my electric tea kettle. I'm definitely going to have to invest in one of those when I return for good.

Perhaps the biggest lesson I have learned in China is just how adaptable we are. It's a blessing to be adaptable, but it means leaving things behind when you move on. I'm still learning how to do that.