Halfway!

Well, today is the halfway point in my time in Aberdeen! Now I can start counting down the days till I get to return to the good old U S of A! 84 days... that sounds like a really long time, a lot longer that 2 1/2 months. Maybe I won't start counting the days themselves yet.

Anyway, in honor of reaching the halfway point, I've been reflecting on the things that I will miss when I leave here, as well as the things I won't miss and the things that I have missed terribly from the States and that I'm looking forward to upon my return. Here are my thoughts:

Things that I will miss about Aberdeen/Scotland when I leave:

1. Hearing that Scottish accent all the time
2. All of the incredible places I see all around me and have the opportunity to visit while I'm here. Everything here is so old, it's amazing. We have nothing like it in the States, because our country is so young comparatively. And travel is easier here - they go from country to country like we go from state to state.
3. Having a group of fellow female post-grad in divinity students to share research ideas, talk with about various issues related to divinity study, etc. That's one of the best things I've found about being here - the friends I've made.
4. Being able to research and study all day without having to work 40 hours a week!
5. Caramel shortcakes - this is one of my two main addictions since I've been here. Graham cracker crust, topped with a thick layer of caramel and a thin layer of chocolate. Divine! Even the lowfat version from Asda is so rich I can only eat one at a time.
6. Walker's lime and thai spice crisps (potato chips) - my other addiction - so good!

Things I won't miss about Aberdeen/Scotland:

1. Being constantly bombarded by cigarette smoke wherever I walk.
2. Living in the dorm. Okay, the girls I live with are great, but goodness, I can't wait to have my own bathroom, kitchen, bedroom that's bigger than a closet, and a couch!
3. The cold. This winter has been really mild here, but it's still colder than I'm used to. And the wind really makes it feel frigid sometimes.
4. Having to rely on public transportation or walk everywhere.
5. The food - or the lack of good food, I should say.
6. Pounds Sterling - everything here is twice as expensive as at home!

Things I'm looking forward to when I get home (not necessarily in any particular order):

1. Pickles! Pickles! and more pickles! I have gone through serious withdrawals! I bought a couple of different jars of what I thought might pass for pickles, but they were nasty! I go to Subway or McDonalds just to get pickles on my sandwich. And try as I might, I just can't seem to get anyone to mail me a jar of pickles. You'd think my friends and family would love me enough to do that! =)
2. Red Hot & Blue - my favorite. That will be one of my first stops when I get back to Ft. Worth, for sure!
3. Setting up my new apartment and getting settled back into a routine again. And having space and privacy!
4. Driving! I miss my Jeep and the independence it provides. We take having a vehicle for granted in America. Hope I can remember how to drive on the right side of the road!
5. Earning an income again - not the earning part, but the income! And the Dollar bill! It will be nice to not have to pay double for everything.
6. Shopping at Kohl's for new clothes. I've lost some weight since I've been here, and all my clothes are baggy on me. But the fashion here is rather dismal, and I haven't been able to find any new clothes that I would consider wearing. So I'm just going baggy for a couple more months.
7. Wedgwood Baptist Church - I miss my church! My children's choir, my friends, the adult choir, the church library, singing music I actually know, hearing good text-centred sermons that are meaty and help me grow in my faith.
8. Scrapbooking - man have I missed that! This blog is helping though, because it's kind of like digital scrapbooking, in a way. One thing's for sure, it's going to take me a LONG time to get caught up with my scrapbooks, considering the vast number of pictures I've taken over here.
9. My friends and family - probably the hardest thing about being here is not having access to my frinds and family whenever I want to talk to them. Phone calls are so expensive, so I don't get to talk as often as I want. And of course I can't see or hang out with anyone from home. Skype has been a wonderful thing - it has made life so much better - but it's not the same as chatting on the cell phone with my mom as I drive home from church or wherever. We have to coordinate times with the time-difference, and I have to go to the hotspot and get online in order to chat. It will be nice to not have those factors making communication difficult.

I'm certain there are more things I miss from home, and that there are other things I'll miss from here. But these are the ones that come to mind at the moment. So 84 days and counting... I have a lot planned in the meantime, so hopefully the time will pass quickly. I'm sure that all too soon I will be packing up and wondering where the time went. But right now, I'm in the hotspot, my laptop battery is about to die, and it's time to go up to my little box that I call a dorm room and get ready for another day. Ah, the life of a student...