What I Miss About Home

These are the things I miss most about home.  It could also be considered a list entitled, "What I hate about New Zealand," and by that I simply just mean that New Zealand can never offer me the comfort of everything home does for me.  So for everyone who is worried that I won't be coming home...don't worry, I'll be home...and I'm on the final stretch.  In fact, I hope I never have to live anywhere besides Wisconsin again, but who knows what God has in store for me.  I've been living in Wellington, New Zealand for over 3 months now.  It is crazy how time flies and what time away from home makes a person realize.  For me, the time has shown me what makes me the person I am as well as what things I take for granted that I never expected to.

1. Cheap food.  If a person wants to go to a restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner, they can expect to pay $10, $15, or $20, respectively.  And that's on the short end.  I once paid $16 for two waffles!  I won't even get into how expensive groceries are.
2. My car.  Walking everywhere gets old pretty fast.
3. My horses.  Seriously, how in the world did I think 5 months away from them would be easy?
4. Single water faucets.  While washing my hands, I either scald them with the hot water faucet or freeze them with the cold water faucet.  It makes washing my face at night a challenge.
5. Pedestrian right away.  It is absolutely obnoxious that no car stops for you unless you're in a cross walk, which do not come in high numbers throughout the city.  Someone told me that you cannot sue in New Zealand, so why would someone ever worry about hitting a person while crossing the street?
6. My family. Self-explanatory.
7. My friends. Self-explanatory.
8. Blue Moon beer.  I also just miss cheap drinks in general.
9. A camera phone.  I've gotten used to making sure I have my camera with me at all times now.
10. The Rivoli.  I'll never take cheap movies for granted again.  It costs $22 to see a movie in theaters here in New Zealand.  Can someone say RIP OFF?!
11. A job.  I love working, and find myself bored a lot because I have an extra 20 hours given to me in a week that are normally set aside for working.
12. UWL.  I'll never take my professors for granted again.  At UWL, professors encourage a positive learning environment, class discussions, and make an effort to know you a personal basis.  I'm afraid to talk to any of my professors at Vic because they are unapproachable.
13. My bed.  It's way more comfortable and larger than my twin bed here.
14. My own living quarters.  I'll admit I am a hard person to live with because I am exceptionally clean.  I get so sick of picking up after people all the time and being the only person who cleans.  I'll be happy to not have to do that once I get home again.
15. My dog's morning wake up calls.  Waking up to a happy dog is so much better than an alarm.
16. The beauty of Wisconsin.  Yes, I have spent the last 3 months traveling all over the beautiful country of New Zealand, but nothing can ever compare to the beauty of the Coulee Region.
17. John's Bar/Downtown La Crosse.  So many wonderful memories with wonderful people have happened there...and being away from it makes me feel like it doesn't even exist anymore.  The high class of a city is not a nightlife I enjoy.
18. Courteous walkers.  I feel like I get taken out by people a lot because they don't care to share the walking space around town or through campus.  Getting "boob swiped" or getting as close as I can to a railing or building so I don't get pushed over is not something I ever thought I'd have to get used to.
19. Cheese curds.  They have never ever heard of cheese curds here.  And they haven't heard of many flavors of cheese in general.
20. Living in the country.  Cities are not for this cowgirl!
21. Service.  Okay, once again, I'll admit a flaw of mine (but only 2 per blog).  I am a service snob.  The service offered in restaurants and bars here is ridiculous.  Workers are rude, inconsiderate, and unwilling to answer questions about specials.  Overall it is just awkward to go out to dinner because I never know if I am supposed to seat myself, grab my own menu or place my order at the counter.