Since I will be flying home in only a few short days, I have been thinking a lot about the small, trivial luxuries that we, as Americans, take for granted and the things that I miss (most) on occasion.
Although, now that I have been living here in SVG for close to 9 months, and I am getting more and more accustomed to my new life here and the way things are done, there are some things that I just miss from home. These things are by no means necessities, but they do make life a bit easier and sometimes a bit more enjoyable.
In no particular order, I have compiled a list of the luxuries I am most looking forward to on my trip back home.
- 1. Soft towels-because fabric softener is a joke and line drying makes my clothes as brittle as a 95-year-old woman’s bones. Basically, it’s just a matter of time before they shatter when I go to wrap up in it after my cold shower.
- 2. Dryer-because if it rains my laundry will not dry and all that washing I did was for naught. Also see #1.
- 3. Laundry that smells fresh and clean-because no matter how much laundry soap I use, my clothes just don’t smell clean. Not to mention, I don’t really like the smell of country (chickens, goats, exhaust, etc.) on my clothes.
- 4. Dish washer-because I start and end my day doing dishes. Since I don’t have a microwave I need to use pots and pans to reheat leftovers, which means more dishes. And since nothing comes pre made or pre packaged, everything is made from scratch, which means TONS of dishes.
- 5. Hot water-because washing with cold water just does not seem sanitary. I don’t necessarily mean for hot showers, more for washing clothes and dishes. I just don’t feel like anything is clean when washing with cold water. Besides it’s too hot to take a hot shower.
- 6. Take out food-because sometimes I just hate having to cook for an hour just to eat a simple meal. I just want to eat now! And I would like a little variety every now and again.
- 7. Going out after dark-because it gets dark at 6pm and I’m basically a prisoner in my own house after 630pm. You just don’t want to be out after dark. And I’d like to do something from 6-9pm (my new bedtime) other than sit and read or count the number of bugs I see in my house.
- 8. A real mattress-because after sleeping on a 2-inch thick foam mattress I wake up feeling like I just slept on my concrete floor.
- 9. Carpet-because I just want to feel something soft and cushiony beneath my feet. Concrete floors are so unforgiving, and always having to wear shoes is no fun.
- 10. Real milk-soymilk that is. Because powdered soymilk is just not the same.
- 11. Real butter-because I love butter. And because the vegetable oil spread tastes so weird.
- 12. The sound of sirens-because I don’t think I will ever get used to falling asleep to crickets and frogs and waking up to roosters. It is eerily quiet and loud all at the same time and I think it might be slowly driving me crazy. I really do miss the loud sirens, helicopters and distant sound of traffic.
