What I miss

With traveling back to the States so close in my mind, I often think about what I miss the most. Many of you reading this live here with me, and if I forget anything please comment because Japan definitely is a different world. First on the list is our family and friends, but here are the other things! 1. I miss shopping at stores that I can read all the sales and ads. It is amazing how accustomed I have gotten to not being able to read anything at the shopping mall or some of the restaurants I go to. Many of the menu's just have pictures so you pick the picture you want. 2. I miss the simple things in an American house that I don't have here in Japan. I miss a dishwasher, disposal(the cleaning of the net job sucks!), central heat and air. I miss a decent size washer, though I have really taken to drying my clothes outside, the sheets especially smell awesome. 3. I miss having an American grocery store that is not out of things all the time. We were out of cereal and butter after Thanksgiving because everyone was baking. The yogurt Sydney likes was gone, apple cider disappears every fall when it is perfect time to have cider. We will get our Christmas cookies put out here before Thanksgiving, and if you don't buy them when you see them, they will not be there the next time. I am sure we already had the Halloween ones and I missed them. Since we have a small freezer also this makes buying in advance difficult but we do it. 4. I miss being able to go to all the stores you would like to in one day, and not just shopping online and then waiting a week for the product that you so wanted/needed to arrive. Then that product takes 2 weeks and you have forgotten what you needed it for anyway and send it back. Ok well this blog is going to go 2 different ways because I would also like to mention what I will miss when I leave Japan: 1. Heated toilet seats, for those of you who haven't tried it, I am sorry because it is definitely one of the perks to living in Japan. Even Sydney notices when we are at a bathroom that doesn't have a heated toilet seat. What a spoiled little tush she has. 2. The kindness of our neighbors. Though I can't communicate with our neighbors very well here in Japan, when I see them we greet each other appropriately. My neighbors in Iowa rarely talked to me, and we spoke the same language. 3. The fruit and fresh bread. The strawberries are some of the greatest you will ever taste here. They cost close to $4-5 a quart, but they are worth it. There are bread bakeries on every corner and fresh french bread, croissants and many other great treats. 4. Safety! I don't have to worry about my daughters everywhere I turn and think someone may come and get them. It is a safe country and most of the crimes committed are by the Japanese Yakuza (mafia group) or foreigners. There are many things that will need to be added to both these lists, but for now you get the idea. We look forward to seeing everyone in a couple of weeks and introducing Julia to everyone back there.