I know that it is way too early for this, but....

We had a conversation the other day about what we wanted waiting for us at the airport when we get back. I know that I am only halfway through my trip, it started me thinking. I guess that I think with my stomach because when I started thinking about what I will appreciate having when I get back, more than half are food-related.

For example, I haven't eaten peanut butter in three and a half months. It's here, just expensive and so I don't buy it. I also haven't eaten turkey since I got here, a little bit of chicken, but all the sandwich-like meats are pork (salame or prosciutto).

Here's what I have so far in terms of "things" (this list bars people and more intangible stuff)

peanut butter
tortillas
teflon frying pans that are flat and don't stick!
sharp knives
toaster (I don't miss the microwave, actually)
bagels
being able to call people when I want to
a bed that is wider than three feet
soy! (tofu, edamame, soymilk...)
enchiladas
cheddar cheese
reliable hot water
pureh (spelling?) tea
really good hugs on a regular basis
a down comforter
my bicycle (I am missing riding this week)
sushi
a yoga mat (I do yoga straight on my tile floor. It's cold and my feet tend to slide.)
maple syrup (Is 7 euro for a small bottle! We eat pancakes/french toast with jam or honey)
salsa

At this point though, I don't crave peanut butter, I don't miss turkey sandwiches. With the exception of hugs, they are things that I can do without. In terms of creature comforts and scarce items though, I will be excited to have them back again. But you learn, how to deal. My eggs alway stick, but I make toast in a pan and I move on. It works.

It goes the other way around too, what I will miss from here when I go home.

.70 euro caffe
gelato
my balcony
speaking Italian
buying sausage from the market
the sausage itself
cheap wine that is excellent
great public transportation
pecorino that I can afford
Rita who sells me fruit
Wheel of Fortune in Italian

Well, I am running out of steam on that one, best to wait and see how that goes.

Yesterday Elona moved in from Albania. We spent a long time talking this morning over breakfast, also a mix of English and Italian. She is an Italian teacher, here getting some courses in grammar. She hasn't spoken English a lot and loves the practice. So now days there is always someone home, it feels completely different from the past three months and I love it!

I am enjoying a relaxing weekend in Perugia, preparing a few presentations and enjoying the stability of having a home. Soon enough I will be on the road and these days of continuity will be a thing of the past. I basically have two more weeks of class then half a week of finals. After that I am hitting the road, going to Bologna, Venice, and the Dolomites (11 day tour of the northeast!) until I meet Mom and Dad in Milan. After some travel with them and Kerry and Alex, I am leaving Italy! My friend Cassiope and I booked flights to Barcelona for two weeks. Spain wasn't originally part of my plans, but now that we have decided to go, I am psyched. Aside from that, I want to get down to Sicily for a few weeks, then probably head back to the farm for the rest of the summer. I have a feeling that by the end of June I will be ready to stay in one place for a while. That's the rough plan anyway, after Spain, always subject to change. It's funny how when you look at summer from early March it seems an eternal amount of time that is terribly far away. Now that it is approaching and I am mapping things out, well, it is long, but not that long. There is never enough time to do everything, but it will be enough.

Until then, classes and a quick trip to Rome/Naples/Pompeii with Kate (CU friend studying in Ireland) next weekend!

I got a hold of a couple of pictures Melanie took on our adventures from last weekend. There's me and Bella Luna, then on top of the Rocca in Orvieto.