Home.

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Whoa, friends. It’s been a while.

I went home for Easter and took a little hiatus from real life…which included blogging.

It was an inspiring and thought-provoking trip and it deserves a reflective and thoughtful blog post (and if I happen to come off sounding like Amy Pohler, please forgive me. I’ve been listening to her book Yes, Please! on Audible and she is currently narrating all the thoughts in my head).

Although my first trip back to the US was when I went to Santa Monica in January, this was my first trip home since I moved 11 months ago.

Going home is different.

After all, South Carolina is where I spent my formative years. This is the place that shaped who I am today. This is where I will always feel safe and free from the responsibilities of adult life.

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Things I realized I miss about home:

  • Country music. This is an odd one, since I’ve never been a huge country fan. But I couldn’t get enough of it on the radio. I guess it’s because I never hear it anymore. Some people would be happy with that I guess.
  • Suburbia. I can’t stand strip malls or chain restaurants, or the fact that everyone in America drives an SUV or truck. But this is America, and the south, and I missed it.
  • Talking to people. I really enjoyed telling a cashier to have a nice day or engaging in small talk with someone I didn’t know. I went to a get together where I talked with people my age and didn’t worry about trying to explain the meaning of something or figuring out if  there was a similar word in German. My mom’s friend came over and we had tea and told stories, and it made me feel like I was part of a southern gossip club, but I liked it. I drank wine with my family and laughed until I cried. I miss these interactions.
  • Shopping on Sunday. We even went shopping on Easter. Just because we could.
  • Food. I ate bison burgers and shrimp, and went to an amazing dinner where I was served mac and cheese, slaw, and strawberry cake. I went to the grocery store multiple times a day. I have an odd obsession with protein bars and “health food” snacks – because they are so hard to come by in Frankfurt.

Things I missed about Germany:

  • Riding my bike. Since I don’t have a car, I bike everywhere. I missed jumping on my bike and riding to the store, or along the river, or having a brisk ride home after going out to dinner.
  • Walking. I walk a lot too. This is something I didn’t do a ton when I was home and I missed it. I tried to get in a daily walk through the neighborhood, but I missed walking down the street in the city.
  • The lazy pace. There is something to be said for lazy weekends; the town coming out to picnic on the river or couples hunkered down at an outdoor café all afternoon. It’s not something I saw so much at home. And, I’d say the pace is just more hurried in the states.
  • My friends. I couldn’t wait to get back and tell them about all the fun I had, but also to catch up on what I missed while I was gone. And talk about our plans for the spring, and festivals, and trips, and all there is to do in our city.

Well, my first list is longer, so clearly home wins, right? I didn’t realize how much I missed home until I was there. I’m sure life would be much easier if my family were closeby, or if I was fluent in the language, or if I had a car. But life isn’t exactly hard, either. I’m so blessed to have this opportunity for growth and new experiences and for learning.

Maybe I’ll move back home someday. But for now, appreciating all that home has to offer makes visiting that much sweeter.

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