Friday, June 26, 2009

Leaving on a jet plane..............

In exactly 24 hours my plane will be taking off at Domodedevo airport in south Moscow. I'm not really sure if I will ever come back here. I have lived here 2 years and visited St. Pete once before that. If I think about it, that is a lot more time than any other countries I have really loved. Though I have never made the kind of lifelong relationships in any other country either. But while I was at tea with the girls last night for the last time we were talking about how it really is such a small world and who know where we could end up and where our paths could cross again.

I thought I would attempt to make a list of the things I will not miss and the things I will. Now I'll go ahead and say that some things will overlap for sure. And these will be in no specific order

Things I will not miss:
1. the harsh way people speak, even when they are not actually angry with you
2. getting in trouble for not doing some paperwork correctly that I didn't know existed in the first place.
3. feeling like a sardine on the metro and smelling that lovely smell
4. having to walk next to and sit next to beggars and long to help them and give them everything I have if it would make their life better
5. walking home in the rain/snow with 40 mph wind and a ton of groceries
6. having to leave no later than 7.20 am so that I wont miss the 8 am bus and not make it to work
7. being so far away from the people I love
8. Pough! (its like big balls of flying cotton and its everywhere!)
9. Getting really sick and wishing I was in America where I can fully understand the Dr. and what is wrong with me to get proper care
10. the constant feeling of being unsafe and having to be extremely aware of my bags and all that is going on around me
11. not being able to go out after dark
12. kids being raised by nannies and body guards
13. my 3 bedroom apartment that cost $3,000 a month
14. language barriers and never being able to fully communicate
15. 9 months of winter

Things I will miss:
1. PEOPLE. I was asked at small group this week what I was most thankful for during my time in Russia. It was definitely people and my relationships with them. That has made all the difference in the world and I wouldn't have made it without them.
2. Chocolate! It is amazing here
3. Blini, it has become a favorite
4. traveling to other countries for so cheap
5. MES, it was a lot of things for me
6. PEOPLE! This really is the most important to me.
7. my apartment
8. my small group and the fellowship
9. tea with the girls every Thursday
10. tea with Polina every Tuesday
11. being immersed in something so foreign to me.
12. walking so much


I'm sure there are more but that is all that comes to mind right this moment.

There are also a ton of things I am really looking forward to in the U.S.

1. PEOPLE. of course, my family, Cliff and friends. I have really really missed them
2. Mexican food
3. Italian food
4. Sonic Diet Dr. Pepper!
5. Diet Dr. Pepper! it deserved 1 1/2 spots
6. Chickfila
7. driving to the store and then putting all my bags in the car!
8. no language barriers
9. PEOPLE, did I say that I missed them
10. My CHURCH, I have really missed that too
11. my next journey. I'm not sure what it is yet but God knows.
12. mom's cooking
13. dad's grilling
14. buster, the little fat dog
15. not working this summer but instead, laying by the pool, scrap booking and playing a ton of Rock Band!
16. getting to meet all the new babies in my life that have been born while I have been away!
17. PEOPLE, I'm not sure if you get it yet
18. putting the suitcases away and filling an actual closet and dresser!
19. T.V., I know so trivial, but it will be nice to have tons of channels of nonsense all in English
20. air conditioning when it is really hot, thought this will be quite an adjustment

Well that is a ton of stuff already so I should probably stop now.

I (and Sara) will be arriving into Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport on Saturday, June 27th at 2:05 pm!

SO I BETTER GET TO PACKING!

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