John and I have officially travelled around the globe. Horray for circumnavigation!
Upon our departure from Washington D.C. bound for Korea, we flew to Chicago, over the U.S. and the Pacific Ocean, to land in Seoul, South Korea. We each flew from Seoul to Bangkok in the fall, and when we returned “home” for the holidays in early December, we flew from Bangkok to Dubai, over Mesopotamia, Europe, and the Atlantic Ocean, to arrive back in the Washington Dulles Airport.
This is what we found when we arrived at my family’s house in Pennsylvania:
What a shock to our warm-weather-accustomed systems!
It was such an excellent trip – made so by the fantastic people we love and were able to see during our time in the States.
Besides visiting with our amazing friends and families, what else did I find myself drawn to in America-land? What made the short list of “must-do’s”?
A List of My American Pit-Stops, in no particular order
- Mexican Food. Oh, the enchiladas and burritos! Glory to the guacamole, Alleluia! This is, perhaps, my number one qualm with everywhere other than the US (London especially should be appalled at its lacking in this department). The world needs more Mexican food restaurants!
- Yama. Yes, delicious, fresh sushi was high on my priority list, but it couldn’t come from just anywhere – it had to be from the best of the best, my favourite sushi restaurant in Annapolis. And let me tell you: it was just as mouth-wateringly wonderful as I had remembered.
- Wendy’s Frosties. Another gift of the good ol’ US of A that hasn’t been captured: making a decent milkshake with the proper consistency.
- (American) Chinese Food. Won ton soup is one of my two omnipotent comfort foods, and I ensured that I had gallons of it whilst I was home. Also, those delectable cream cheese crab wontons…
- A Shipping Address. I had been sending packages home to my family’s home for literally months before my arrival: from books and bras to dresses and deodorant. There were boxes everywhere, but I was so happy that I could spend my time with people I love instead of doing seemingly endless errands to stock up on some necessities.
- The Tea and Candy Aisles of Various Grocery Stores. I built a small fortress in the cupboard with all the boxes of tea I returned with from the States. Lemon Zinger, Dragonfruit Melon, True Blueberry – the list goes on… Also, Twizzlers. Five pounds of Twizzlers. Those achingly strange twists of addicting red plastic are irreplaceable in my palatal craving repertoire.
- Thrift Stores. I had missed the gleeful sense that only properly-fitting clothes at laughably-low prices can bring. However, I realised that it’s so much more fun to thrift when you actually have a home within driving distance – all those beautiful home goods and furniture pieces left behind! Alas! I did manage to snag a few picture frames from Hobby Lobby, but that place, too, was pure torture for a girl with big dreams and small suitcases.
- Our Alma Mater. St. John’s truly is a kind, loving mother to us both, and we had missed her brickéd walks and transcendent shelter from the wild world. Some things really do never change.
So, as you can see, I kept myself busy – mostly chatting and eating. Which is probably why I ended up being gone for almost a month and returning with a total of six pictures – five of the snow and one of the Christmas tree.
I hereby roll my eyes at myself.
A Happy Working Song 