Since today is the Fourth of July, which for us, means a holiday and for everyone else means just another average day in the seventh month, I thought I would write about what I miss from my country.
I always want to remind myself when I miss things from the States that it is okay to grieve the loss of not being able to see family and friends very often and even somewhat menial things like certain foods or conveniences. At the same time I want to remember that this world is not our ultimate home so when I think of my homeland, it’s really just a temporary one for a short time. Remember, “our citizenship is in heaven (Phil 3:20)” and we long for “a better country, that is, a heavenly one (Heb 11:16).”
My husband and I were just looking at pictures the other night and although it was sweet and good, it was also sad. In one hand we were holding thankfulness and in the other we held a kind of grief– not being able to see our people or hug grandparents, gather with family for holidays (or any day). We also grieved the little things like not being able to get dressed up and feel “pretty” in the same clothes we I used to wear or swing by the store to pick up something healthy for dinner like a pre-washed, de-stemmed spinach salad with avocado and salmon.
At the end of the day we love where we live. We love what we do. We haven’t gone back to the States yet, (it’s been almost 2 years) but we know even when we do return, we really won’t feel like we truly belong anywhere. Life goes on. People change. And Target runs probably aren’t as magical as I remember ;-).
Regardless, no matter where I am living, America, with its joys and messes, will be dear to my heart.
Here are a few things I miss about my country.
1. family & friends
–first and foremost
2. holding hands in public
–I wrote a little about this here. Not showing any affection in public was really difficult when we first moved here. Sometimes we still reach to hold each others’ hands and then realize what we are doing.
3. thrifting
— I have always loved shopping at thrift stores. The bargains, the browsing, the things you find in great condition and how your jaw drops along with the low price. Although most stores here have thrift store prices, it’s certainly not the same feel.
4. getting dressed up
–especially for date nights and wearing a dress other than a maxi dress
5. wearing shorts
— especially throwing on a pair of shorts and going for a run or really going anywhere.
6. to-go coffee. or to-go anything
–oh the conveniences we are used to in America. Swinging by a window to pick up lunch or cold treat on a hot day.
7. hair cuts
–the time I got balayage, a cut, and a style and felt like a princess. After two butchered South Asian hair cuts, I gave up.
8. the season of fall
— the changing colors. the leaves. the pumpkin spice lattes (that I don’t have to make from scratch). I wrote about my first fall in South Asia here.
9. salmon and (any) salad
–this used to be one of our favorite dinners. Salmon power bowl!
10. frozen custard
–miss you Andys & your wonderful thick custard that gets turned upside-down before it’s handed to each customer. One day the beautiful peanut butter chocolate custard and I will meet again.
11. being able to enjoy desserts out and about
— or maybe my husband misses this cause I usually make sweets for events and then there are no leftovers. Basically everything sweet we eat is something homemade.
12. sweet potatoes, blueberries, + raspberries
–I just try not to think about these things. Maybe this should count as three separate things but I didn’t want the whole list to be about food.
Happy 4th of July!