There are some days when I feel like I'm living the perfect life here...a job which gives me purpose, a flat filled with Ikea furniture, wood floors and sunshine, friends to laugh and cry with, and an address in Lithuania. I’m doing what other people barely even dream of doing. Yes, life is good. I love being here, and I know I made the right decision in moving back.
But there are definitely days when I miss things about living in the States. I'm not a fan of complaining just for the sake of complaining, but I am all about being real about my life, what's really going on.
So today, things I miss about living in the States:
Hooded sweatshirts. I didn't bring any. My fault, I know.
My car. I love walking here and the buses are cheap and convenient, but there's just something about getting behind the wheel and taking off wherever you want to go.
Taco Bell and Subway. There's a McDonalds in Klaipeda, but it's so greasy and processed compared to the food we normally eat here, so it makes me sick when I eat it. I'm sure Taco Bell and Subway would do the same, but the notion of fast, cheap, and good (even if not good for you) is very appealing today.
Reliable internet connection. Enough said.
Not having to think to the point of getting a headache when I need to ask a store clerk a question. My Lithuanian vocabulary and comprehension grow every day, and I can usually make myself understood, but it's an exhausting process.
Church. The church that I go to here, one of very few with English translation, is going through a Purpose Driven phase, along with an emphasis on the Celebrate Recovery curriculum from Saddleback. The church is growing and it's exciting to see people's lives being changed, but things get lost in translation, and if I had any, I would pay good money to hear Seth or Joe Skillen bring the Word.
My sister. Do not feed the Amish!!
I’m continuing to learn how to let Jesus fill the TacoBell and Need for Convenience-shaped holes in my heart. It’s good and it’s rich, but sometimes I really just want a nacho cheese chalupa.
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