Things I miss...

-Taking walks that are stress free (even when you think you're safe here comes a moto speeding the wrong way down the street or a crazy looking dog heading straight for you with a mean bark)
-Drivers that obey traffic signals
-Traffic signals and cross walks
-Clean feet
-Flushing toilet paper
-Assuming every bathroom has toilet paper
-Assuming every bathroom has a toilet
-Calling / Texting friends (I need to Skype more)
-Brushing my teeth with tap water
-Clothes that have been dried in the dryer.  (Hanging clothes to dry really stretches them out)
-The Whole Foods salad bar.
-STARBUCKS - which has never been my coffee of choice but what I wouldn't give to walk in and order a latte.


While we're on the subject of coffee....this is the best I've found.

It is really good.    It's basically a French press.  I ordered it with milk - which means condensed milk at the bottom of the cup.  Very delicious but painful waiting for it to slowly drip into your small cup.    I could drink this every day but it's the price of a meal, very small, and not served everywhere.  Instant is the coffee of choice.



(Obviously this list isn't naming the obvious - friends, family, etc.)

The truth is you get used to things being different and not having everything you're used to.   I miss these things but I don't NEED these things.  You adapt to the culture you're living in.  Who ever thought I could get used to putting used toilet paper in a garbage can??  And actually admit it on a public blog!  

One of my major concerns when deciding to do this was communication.  Of course there are plenty of times when communication is difficult but it's far from impossible and turns out not to be as much of a challenge as I thought it would be.  We all know what is supposed to be said at restaurants so even if it's said in another language you can probably figure it out.   So far I have not been in a situation that I couldn't figure out.

There are some things I actually don't miss.  TV is the big one.  Yes, I don't miss TV!  I know - hard to believe considering I've been obsessed with it for pretty much my entire life.  I have downloaded episodes of TV shows for long journeys but overall I'm doing just fine without it.

I expect this list to change when I get to China and I've been away from the US for a bit longer.