Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Comforts of Home

I love being in Korea; it's taught me a lot.  It's also given me a new found appreciation for the things unique to my home in the US.  Sometimes, I find myself fantasizing about spacious houses and hot apple pie, which is how my brain lets me know that I'm a little homesick.  I don't mind; it gives me something to look forward to at the end of the year:  hugging my family and friends, cuddling with my dog, wide-open spaces, green fields of grass, suburbs, the countryside, lack of censorship, ditching the crowded subway for my spacious car, clean air, having a full kitchen and an oven, finally being able to use the things I got at my wedding shower, being able to buy western food EVERYWHERE, a greater selection of vegetarian food, nearby coffee shops, sugar-free and low fat options, the list could go on forever...

I used to be one of those college kids that felt embarrassed to be from the US, and did nothing but complain about it's flaws.  While I'm still embarrassed about America's foreign policy, living so far away from home has taught me that it's just that: my home.  It might have flaws, but I'll never feel more comfortable than I do in America.  It's a pretty nice place to live, and when I go back, I'll spend more time enjoying it instead of griping about it.

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