Since moving here, the one question I get asked really often is 'What do you miss most?' I think a lot of people think this is a fun and safe question and they are probably hoping to hear something about what it's like to live in America. With this in mind, I usually give them an answer about missing my favorite foods and tell stories about my fist visits to the Supermarkets in England and how strange it was to recognize almost nothing on the shelves..
Although I do miss my favorite foods and would love to get a care package filled with all the goodies I can't get here (it's such a shame the shipping costs so damned much), it's not at all the honest answer.
What do I miss most? That's a really hard question to answer...
I miss my dog. I still find it hard to hold back the tears when ever I see a Jack Russell Terrier and it's just my luck that I moved to the country that the little dogs come from! He's a special little dog and even though I know he's loved by my friend who has him, it's still hard not having him with me. I figure it will take becoming a mother to really get over the loss of my little Milo. Sadly, that's what happens when you're a woman that's over 30 with no Children - your pets become your kids.
I miss the comfort of familiarity. It's really hard to explain, but I miss feeling at home and how comforting it is to drive down a street you know so well you could drive it with your eyes closed. And speaking of driving - I really miss driving. I miss the freedom of jumping in the car and going where I please when I please without having to depend on anyone. It's been almost a year since I've been behind the wheel and I really can't wait to go back for a visit just to feel like a grown-up again! It's a pity I have to live like a 16 year old without the perk of having the body of one!
I miss being around people who really know me. I miss how good it feels to just sit across from someone (someone I'm not married to anyway) who really cares about what I have to say and who's interested. I miss my dear friends and being able to talk to them whenever the feeling strikes (instead of battling the time difference). I miss my family (even though most of them drive me to drink when I'm around them for too long). I miss seeing the kids I love grow up.
I really miss all of those things, but to answer the question with complete honesty - I have to say what I miss most is my best friend, Nicole (I can't beileve how fat I was in that picture!). Nic and I have been best friends for 20 years. She has been my rock in life and if we have non-romantic soul mates - Nic would be mine. She has always been there through it all - through the laughter, the tears, the good times and bad - she has gone through my life with me and I find it so hard living without her for the first time in my adult life. I joke that one day I'll move back and we'll move into the house next door to her so that I can grow old with the two people I love most in the world. Since I'm being honest here - I'm really only half-kidding because it would be really nice...
My in-laws just left after a five day visit. I don't mind it being a five day visit, but then again, five days of your house not being your own is always a bit unsettling and although I don't look forward to their departure when they are here, I can't say I'm sad to have things go back to normal. As a treat for my son's birthday, we took him to the Museum of Natural History in London on Thursday. He chose to go because we took him last year (he's been crazy about dinosaurs since he was three years old). They give out adventure packs at the museum which consist of a back pack, safari hat, and binoculars with an adventure to follow during their visit. The back pack has clues in it to solve a mystery. Last year it had a dinosaur claw, a tooth and a sample of dinosaur skin he had to match up to one on display. He had a great time solving the mystery and even remembered which dinosaur it ended up being. Last year's trip was wonderful. We walked right in,
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