Monday, August 30, 2010

I'm Back

Wow it has been way too long since I have blogged. A little thing called vacation got in the way! We had a wonderful two weeks in Europe and I hope to blog more about that soon. Because Michael, Maggie and my dad all have really nice cameras not to mention much better photography skills than I do I left the photography up to them. The good thing was I wasn't worried about taking photos at all during the trip. The bad thing is now I want them all to start printing/framing, making a photo book, etc. but that's not easy to do when I don't have them!

Anyway, in the meantime, since we have returned, things have been nice and quiet. For the first time literally since January, Kevin and I had a weekend in Columbia together - no traveling to St. Louis, no work for me, no studying for Kevin, no frantic packing or anything. Just movies, good food, sleeping in, walks with Cocoa and a couple meals out, one with friends, one with Maggie.

While being abroad was amazing and I hope to have the opportunity to return, especially to Italy and Ireland, being home is sooooo nice. Clean (and unwrinkled)clothes all of the time. Ice cold, free water at restaurants. Clean and free bathrooms. Sleep. Cocoa Bean. Regular access to news and the Internet. I know it is soooo cheesy but there really is no place like home. And a nice quiet weekend with Kevin was just what I needed. Now this thing they call "Monday" - especially a gloomy one, after such a wonderful weekend, well that's another story.

Some of the things from home I missed most.
-first three from great din at Flatbranch. Loved trying new food but did come to miss American dining "staples" - fries, pretzels, brownies. (no wonder Americans are so overweight...)
-fourth photo from great din Kevin cooked. definitely missed quiet dinners at home
-and last one of course Cocoa :)