I am home

I can hardly believe it, but I'm sitting here, back in my parents' living room in Ohio.

My day of travel yesterday went as smoothly as possible, although it all felt surreal.

Of course, my journey ended with the happiest of reunions! There's nothing better than coming home into the arms of your loved ones.

Before I get to sharing things on the US end of things, I have a lot to share with you from my last few days in Hungary. It was as lovely and perfect as I ever could have asked for.

To begin with, I made a list a week ago, prior to my departure. I would have liked to share it earlier, when I was still in Hungary, but my busy schedule made it impossible. So here it is-- my list of things to look forward to back in the US and what I will miss from Hungary. However, this list excludes the most obvious things I will look forward to in the US and miss in Hungary--all my loved ones, the biggest and most important thing. The following are the smaller, more trivial things I've thought of.

What I look forward to in the US:
~being in a country where I can understand what I hear and read 100% of the time
~using a clothes dryer again! I never understood how much I could miss one until I had to hang dry all my laundry for the last many months.
~driving again after 8 months
~having my own kitchen to cook/bake in
~having lots of ice in my drinks and getting free refills at restaurants {both are highly uncommon in Hungary}
~food I've been craving: hummus, guacamole, mac & cheese, ranch dressing
~buying an ice cold gallon of skim milk {in Hungary, milk comes in unrefrigerated boxes and only needs to go in the fridge after it's been opened}
~turning the music up way too loud when I'm driving
~wearing heels all the time {since walking was my main means of transportation, wearing heels was very unpractical}
~not having to ride the bus when it's so full we're packed into it like we're sardines in a can
~not having to experience the unpleasant body smells on the bus

Things I will miss about Hungary:
~the beautiful Hungarian language--hearing and speaking it all the time
~riding public transportation {bus, tram} and people-watching
~nearly all traditional Hungarian foods being flavored with paprika
~'Milka' brand chocolate
~walking as my major means of transportation
~all the little old men riding around on bicycles with baskets
~the gorgeous architecture in Debrecen
~"puszi"--the cheek kisses one gives/receives as a greeting and goodbye
~sending texts {what they refer to as a "SMS"} in Hungarian
~people speaking English with thick Hungarian accents
~all the delicious soups
~singing worship songs in Hungarian
~the really amazing European coffee
~some of the shopping {stores we don't have in the US}

So many more things to share with you, soon to come...