Sorry it has been so long since I have last posted a blog
post everyone! I hope you have been keeping up with the going on’s on Facebook
with all my pictures and all! This post is going to be dedicated to some of the
things that have been the biggest changes for me since coming to Europe,
including some things I miss dearly…
-inspiration is from a Buzzfeed post “35 things you appreciate
about America after Living in Europe”
1.
Peanut Butter- I know this sounds like a small
thing, but to the kid who keeps a jar of Crunchy Peanut Butter in his drawers
at school at all times this is a huge change. Nutella is great and all but when
you are looking for that satisfying feeling of good protein, fat, salty and
savory all at the same time… a good ole jar of peanut butter is hard to beat.
Sorry Nutella, but things aren’t just going to work out as well as I had
thought.
2.
Popcorn- I don’t know if I am just incompetent
or somehow inept at finding these kinds of things but I CAN’T FIND IT
ANYWHERE!!! This also is a huge blow to my ability to snack as I am also the
kid who asked for my own air-popper for Christmas so I can have popcorn anytime
I want it at school… So yes, I also keep large amounts of popcorn on hand as
well. I am really missing all that buttery, salty goodness and can’t wait to
just nom so hard when I get back.
3.
Dijon mustard- this isn’t something necessarily
I miss, but rather something I will forever cherish about America. When you get
a Dijon mustard in the U.S. it is normally pretty sweet and very tasty. In
France, Dijon has a tangy, almost horseradish quality to it that really opens
up the nasal passages
4.
Free water and Ice- Having free water at your
table at all times for restaurant and with that water ice. You know it’s the
small things but cherish Sonic happy hour now while you can, and don’t ask for
“easy ice”. Never again will I do that to myself!
5.
BBQ sauce- I don’t know if it is just the
upbringing I had so close to KC BBQ, my dad being apart of a competition BBQ
team, or maybe it is just my love for food (See 1,2,3,4 above) but I miss BBQ
like crazy and in the summer months it is hard to go without for so long. I
would give just about anything right now to be sitting down to a nice, sweet,
spicy rack of ribs that are just falling off the bone.
6.
Air-Conditioning- So in all honesty I did not
realize this till I went to Marseilles, France for our free weekend this past
week, but there is no AC anywhere. I have been getting along well in Toulouse
since the weather is normally a pretty solid 65-85 during the day and drops
down to the low 60’s or 50’s at night. But Marseilles is much farther south and
is along the coast of the Mediterranean. Because of that, weather does not
fluctuate as much, as well as it is much warmer! The two nights we were there I
was sweating like mad and was really in need of some AC.
7.
Talking- So let me explain this point a little.
I have been learning French for a grand total of two weeks now (going on my
third) and I struggle with this language so much. First off, half the word
seems to get dropped off every time and I always keep reverting back to Spanish
if I don’t know a word, which is very different if you didn’t know. I have been
able to get a few small phrases down, and some basic vocab but when I interact
with local speakers very often it turns into a game of charades with them
getting very frustrated with my lack of languages skills. But then again it is all in whom you talk to.
Many of the younger crowd and people not working for the stores you are trying
to buy from are more than willing to help out, and from what I have heard
people in the southern part of France (where almost all of our visits have
been) are so much nicer than Paris and more northern areas.
8.
Family and Friends- so it was weird but think
for one of the first times in my life I got a little homesick. On the train to
Marseilles, I was talking with Margeaux and Cathy, my two friends I traveled
with for the weekend, and how I could honestly go home at the end of this week.
I had no desire to really go to my internship family and I missed my family and
friends back at home so much. This feeling I believe was a combo of missing the
ability to talk with people, missing the ability to see friends in a 2-hour
drive if I wanted and overall seeing your Facebook and Twitter feeds on how
much fun you are all having. I am about ready to go deep and intellectual for a
second folks so stay with me here. So my top strength in Gallup’s Strength
Finder test is Input. Everyone’s strengths are expressed in several different
ways and I have seen Input basically permeate and take over my life. This isn’t
a bad thing it is just simply who I am and I actually love it. Part of it
however, causes me to want to be a part of every opportunity, take part in
every activity and try and be a part of every memory possible. This is why to
many I am “over-involved” and am constantly on the go. But I realized while I
am here in France that even though I am having experiences of my own and loving
every minute of it, I hate that I can’t be a part of your memories and lives
this summer as well. I know that isn’t my role and I truly am appreciative for
what I have. It is just hard to see all of your incredible lives as well and
not want to be a part of it. So to my Paola summertime peeps, my O&E, WWU,
COA Office Crew, my friends doing mission work, internships at multi-million
dollar companies, governmental relations and most importantly my family, know
that I miss you all and I expect to hear just as much about your summer as you
want to know about mine. Don’t put down the experiences you are having just
because you are not in a whole other country but instead soak it all in because
every experience is just as important as the next.
I probably could go on and on about things I missed back
from home but I hope to hear from each of you soon and can’t wait to hear the
exciting adventures from each of your summer lives!
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