I'm Coming Home, Again.

I feel like it was forever ago that I was writing this same post, but in Fiji. Weird how it has been 5 months.
This post though has a different attitude to it.
I'm ready to come home. I am excited. I cannot wait.
One thing I wish it that I could have lived in Fiji for 5 months and Lithuania for 7 weeks. Just a note to self for future references.
What have I learned? How have I grown? What have I learned to be more thankful for in America?
I think the reason I have struggled so much these last 5 months is because Fiji was the biggest service high of my life and coming off of that with changing, growing, and learning so much to coming here has been anti climatic.
I almost don't want to write this post but I feel it is important to reflect even if it is not always great. These 5 months have been an adventure. I have traveled to 14 countries. 14. I have been able to see and do so much. I am eternally grateful or all the experiences and travels I have been able to have while here. I wish I had been able to volunteer more and feel fulfilled though. I go home not feeling as though I have grown as much as I have wanted to or in the ways I have wanted to. This is good to recognize however because I will work harder in China.
This to me has not been a volunteer experience but it has been a life experience. However, I miss the service. I miss helping those in dire need, I miss being able to devote myself to service, every single day.
So for those who are wanting to go on a service abroad, this is not the right program.
For those looking for a semester abroad, this is the right program. I think that is a very important distinction to make.
I have had an incredible time exploring Europe. In these months I have traveled to: Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czech Rep, Austria, England, and the Netherlands.
I have danced on the streets, visited the Harry Potter set, biked the canals, walked Anne Frank's house, bathed in the Budapest baths, explored underground caves, walked through ancient European buildings, ran in the pouring rain, explored islands, met fun people, sumo wrestled on the streets, walked through Auschwitz, licked salt off the walls of a salt mine hundreds of feet underground, attended mass in a graveyard on All Souls Day, painted orphanages, quilted for orphans, drilled holes in frozen lakes and on and on. It has been 5 months of adventure. Living in Europe has been beautiful.

What have I learned to be grateful for? Dryers for one. It's been 6 months since my clothes have been properly dried. I miss when clothes are clean. Heck, I am thankful for washers. For the first few weeks we had to hand wash everything, in the bath tub. I am so grateful for these modern conveniences we have. I am grateful for my friends and family and that they are close by. I am more grateful for the love my animals bring me. Boy, do I miss them. I have learned to be grateful for my car. Public transportation is not the funnest thing around. It takes forever, is slow, schedules get changed, its cramped, you're stuck standing, it is not fun. I am so thankful to be able to go home and go where I want, when I want, without having to coordinate a schedule and taking an hour to get there. Having that freedom and ability is something I will not take for granted. I am grateful for my bed, bedding, pillow, and so forth. At first, I had to share a fold down futon with one and sometimes two girls. I've slept on the pull out couch and the couch. They are pretty miserable. Yes, they are better than the floor but I am so happy to go home to a bed. I am grateful for heat and walls made of wood. Living in a concrete box makes it cold and hard to decorate. I am grateful for neighborhoods and houses. I am grateful for open floor plans where not every room has a door that closes you in. I am grateful for my own space where I have control over the cleanliness. I am grateful for the technology in classrooms in America and my students there. I am grateful for my Mac, my real camera. I am grateful for a country where I speak the language. I am grateful for CA weather. I cannot wait to come home to sunshine and warmth. I am grateful for stores where I can read the ingredients and know what I am buying. I am grateful for "American food" and by that I mean American, Italian, Indian, Thai, Mexican. I am grateful for appliances like a blender, my kitchen aid, crock pots, cookie sheets. I am grateful for a closet bursting at the seems with outfits to choose from. I am grateful for shoes and variety.
I cannot wait to come home to these things and appreciate them so much more.
What have I been grateful for in Lithuania?
I have been grateful for Dima and his family. I am grateful for Rosie and her love of life and chocolate. I am grateful that she shared the same love I have and can get pure joy from walking into a bakery shop. I am grateful that Hannah loves taking pictures and always documents where we go, even if there are a lot of tree photos ;) I am grateful for Paige's laugh. I am grateful for Mikele's patience. I am grateful Rachel's ability to be happy about anything. I am grateful for Marijuanas hugs and love and energy. I am grateful for Karina and Lukas for making me smile every day and for feeding me snacks on the daily. I am grateful for Danielle, Nicole, and Dominkya for their English abilities and way they always helped in class. I am grateful for Karina's love. I am grateful for the babies and the way the mimic us and make me laugh on the daily. I am grateful for old town and how beautiful it is. I am grateful for the cooks for making me pancakes and Lithuanian man and cheese. I am grateful for varske cheese and for homemade bread. I am grateful for the apple trees. I am grateful for the Swiss' for providing us the opportunity to sever on the weekly and for feeding us.