Liz's European Adventures: September 2009

Traveling back to the US is always exciting! I start a count down about 3 weeks before I go. It is always amazing to see everyone and everything and eat my favorite foods. But without fail, about 3 days before I head back to Europe, I always get sad. I want to fast forward my last days in the US and just be on the plane back to my 'home.' Another realization for me is that I HATE saying goodbye. I cry every time. It is just this awful pitted-knot in my stomach.

Who knows where my home is now? I love living in Europe right now, but the US will always be my home, and I am proud to say I am American. And I love to say I am from the Midwest, as well - good old Midwest values.

I was reflecting on the plane on the way back, and here are some things I realize that I miss a lot:

1) Family and friends. Duh, no brainer there.

2) Watching my friends' and family's kids grow - my god, Oliver was totally speaking to me, I have only seen Elliot when he was 3 weeks old, Whitney is a senior in high school, Kaity is in college! And I won't even get into my friend's children...one of my best friends had her first child while I was in Denmark, so I have now seen him as a 3 month old and an 11 month old. So much changes...

3) Being able to fully understand conversations around me. Even if I am not a part of them. Just being able to hear and understand what two people are discussing in a store is amazing. At times in Denmark, I feel like I live in a bubble - I am so completely in my own world. It is nice to feel more included.

4) Certain foods and restaurants and drinks (non-alcoholic and alcoholic). My favorite tv shows.

5) Knowing where to go to buy specific things you don't use everyday. For example, I have wood floors in my new apartment, and I wanted to buy those floor protector things (for couches and chairs, etc) that you would find at Bed Bath and Beyond or Linens and Things. For the life of me, I didn't know where to go to find them here, and quite frankly, it was just too hard. So I bought them when I was back in the US!

6) One of the things that can be so deflating is to constantly ask someone 'Can you speak English, please?' I will absolutely never get used to that.

Ok, I don't know why this website is not allowing me to begin typing before this picture, but this picture is important enough, so here we go.

On my way back to Denmark, I was on a little plane from St. Louis to Atlanta. I was sitting right where this picture was taken. We were pulling into the gate in Atlanta when all of a sudden, you heard a loud noise, like the sound of metal tearing. If you look to the right of the wing, near the end (close to the blue), you can see that the metal did tear. The wing hit the catering truck and messed it up bad. I am glad I was getting off that plane!

So the US was great as usual. The main purpose of flying home was for bridesmaid duties - I was a bridesmaid in my good friend from SLU (played soccer with her) Anny's wedding. I started my trip in StL, headed to Vegas, then went to LA, and back to St. Louis for the wedding. Great times were had in every city, but sadly, that is the last trip I have 'planned' back home until after I graduate next June. Pretty much something I don't want to spend too much time thinking about.

I have also realized, I want to fast-forward the last 3 days of every trip home. It is the realization that the trip is ending and I am heading back...but am I leaving my home, or going to my home? I currently feel like I live in a state of flux, and am not exactly sure where I belong anymore. And this trip home has made me realize some of my relationships have changed, but I can only hope it is for better.

I love you and miss you all terribly. Please come visit!

Little D - Daniel - Naz's first baby. He is hilarious!

Daniel holding and wearing the Danish presents I brought home for his 1st birthday

Daniel with the well-known Danish (well, Swedish actually) backpack. How cute to carry that to daycare or wherever? Oh yeah, and Naz and Jon also :)

Naz and D with his first eating set

Christine, an old roomie from Dallas, flew in from Boston to spend the weekend with me! My friend Cathy let me borrow her wheels...we nicknamed her the Robinmobile!

Granny and I at the Cardinals game

Go Cards! God, I miss this! Nothing better than a baseball game in StL in the summer

Bride and groom at the Cardinals game

Tim and I

Christine and I at the game

Granny and Tim's girlfriend Jessica

Kiener Plaza - we took wedding photos here too

Bouquets at the reception - and two of Anny's three brothers are in the Marines

The wedding cake - bride and groom are soccer fanatics

My date down the aisle

Anny and her parents

Walk down the aisle

Showing off the big soccer thighs!

Anny and I

Christine and I after the rehearsal dinner

Kelly and I

Anny and I at the rehearsal dinner

My family surprised me in StL at the rehearsal dinner!

Getting the bridesmaid gifts

My friend Cathy's daughter Francesca - I think with this picture, I should be a professional photographer!

Anny and her aunt on stage at the Bachelorette

I always smile at the sight of this

Seeing my good friend Beth preggers for the first time

Out with some of the Neiman's girls

Naz and I

Me, Oliver and Brad at Venice Beach

Lissy is preggers too!

Dad and son with their sandcastle!

I was able to go for a ride in Santa Monica on Chad's boat

My best guy friend, Chad

A prison

Daddy-o and I

The Vegas crew, in the Huffer house for our last dinner together before I left

The aunts: Stacey, Nan, me and Suzy, enjoying a night out

My god, chicken fingers with wing sauce and ranch. SOOO excited for this!

The Young family tree that my cousin Whitney put together for her boyfriend Casey, to help him understand just who we are and who belongs to whom.

Granny and I at Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

The new bridge being built to bypass the Hoover Dam traffic. Suzy loves this architectural feat, and drove Granny and I there specifically to see it. The bridge connects the states of Arizona and Nevada