An American Summer

This past week began the last quarter of the school year for us! This semester is flying by. We have only nine weeks of school left! And with half of April taken up by "spring" break, May is the only full month of school left (but not for the seniors with all the AP and IB exams taking place). Before we know it, we'll be getting ready to go home for the summer (well, June and a little bit of July, anyway)! I am definitely counting down the days until we leave for home. Our departure date is June 10 with a 6:50 a.m. flight and getting into the D.C. area around 4 p.m. on the same day. Who says you can't make time stand still or go back in time...or whatever it is we're doing?

I have to say, I'm really, really looking forward to going home. As full of adventure and as exciting as this past year has been, I'm ready for a little bit of easy living again. I hadn't realized how easy daily life is in America. It's hard to see that and so easy to take that life for granted. I can't wait to see everyone and do all the things I've missed doing this past year. But I'm also just a little afraid that I won't want to get on the flight to come back in July!

Some of the things I'm looking forward to this summer (sometimes it really is the little things that matter):

Getting together with friends, of course! Throughout the time we're home, hopefully!
Easy access to ethnic cuisine of all types (Sushi! Indian food! Dumplings!! Pierogi!).
Relatively cheap junk food (yes, I still eat those things).
Good wine. At a reasonable price.
Road trips, camping, and hiking.
Big, fat juicy steaks.
Being able to go anywhere anytime I want without having to take a taxi.
Experiencing bad traffic only during rush hour as opposed to horrible traffic at all hours of the day and night.
Being able to eat and sleep without being eaten alive by mosquitoes, or being woken up by roosters crowing, dogs howling (Thailand, with its many stray dogs and cats, has turned me into a dog-hater!), or motorcycles and scooters roaring by.
Not having to wait an entire day for clothes to dry.
Experiencing less than 100 percent humidity on occasion.
Understanding what others say and being understood.
Going to the museums, parks, festivals, playgrounds, farms, etc.
Riding the metro (never thought I'd say that!).
Shopping at Trader Joe's (I'll be the one running down its aisles like a giddy school girl).
Going to the library! And bookstores!
Being able to order delivery or takeout at a moment's notice and without having to pay a fee.

And hopefully, this trip home will also give us a better idea of what we want to do and where we want to live next. It will be an interesting summer, that's for sure!