¿Qué he echado de menos?

Before we left Austin I posted on the things I thought I’d miss.  Well, it’s been nine months.  Was I right?  Let’s see…

friends and family:  Well, of course I miss them.  Thankfully, video chats, social media, and even real mail have helped.  Plus, we’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of visitors this year, and more to come!

garden:  Surprisingly, not at all.  I take care of the potted plants on the two patios (which don’t need much more than watering).   And I now have the windowsill herb garden I’ve always wanted.  (This wasn’t possible with my kitchen in Austin.)  Plus, the daily farmer’s market in Plaza Larga keeps me stocked up on fresh, cheap, seasonal veggies.  I don’t even have spring fever this year.  What’s wrong with me… ?

the cat:  I feel terrible saying this, but no, I don’t really miss Tuesday.  He wasn’t the most affectionate feline in the world.  And there are plenty of cats to pet around here.  I do feel sad for the kids that we don’t have an animal in the house.  (Bob ran away).

the gym:  No, not at all.  I really like my gym here, even though the classes are early 90’s style. (So I’m an expert).  YouTube channels also help.  Plus, we walk.  All day.  Everywhere.  Our neighborhood is very steep and we’ve become so used to it that we laugh at our August 2015 selves huffing and puffing up the steps.

being alone in the house:  Not really.  It’s unexpectedly pleasant to have another person around.  And I don’t actually have time to think about it much.  Like I said, my days are so busy, I’m lucky if I get to exercise and study Spanish.  Most of the time Rob and I ignore each other all day so that the kids and I can make a big fuss when he “comes home from work”.  And wow, is it ever nice that he’s gets to see them for lunch, that extra hour he doesn’t have to spend in traffic, and extra time before and after work.

***

Well, it looks like I was mostly wrong about what I would miss not living in America.  So, aside from friends and family what do I miss?  What am I dying to get back to?

Nothing.

Okay, that’s not really true.  I vaguely miss our microwave.  Sometimes I would like to go to a one-stop-Target-ish store.  A larger variety of food at the supermarkets and restaurants would be nice.  Oh, and the Alamo Drafthouse.  But really, none of those things are very important to me.  It’s totally worth it to not have to deal with Austin traffic, Texas heat, living life in the car, the crushing homework and standardized testing, PTA angst, the rising cost of living, zero walkability, and the lack of freedom and free time for the kids.  Those are the things I’ll miss the most when we come back to the States.  And they’re big things.

As for the rest of the family, I don’t want to speak for them,  but  I can say that Rob misses his music scene.  The kids don’t really talk about it much, but they miss their friends and the cat.  They also miss bagels, taquerias, and grass.  The biggest surprise?  They don’t miss having their own rooms.

Hmmm…