17 january 2011 - on america

today i found strawberry poptarts at the store. that's right. preservative-filled, sugary, frosting-covered kellogg's poparts. and they nearly brought me to tears. i don't know if it's the weather or classes or something but for some reason i really really want america right now. 

things i also miss: the cottage

this year abroad has made me realize how much i take america for granted. watching the coverage of the tragedy in arizona was surreal, since for the first time i was not home and saw everything from an outsiders perspective. and i was proud of that perspective. president obama's speech was so inspiring and somehow optimistically challenged everyone to grow from this horrible act. i was reminded of how proud i am to be from where i'm from. proud of how we unite and strengthen in the wake of tragedy.

alright, done being dramatic, but i was so moved by the speech and it just added fuel and actual substance to my desire to be home. yes, i miss poptarts and chipotle and country music and driving on the right side of the road and target (oh, how i miss target), but i miss the people more. i miss all of you!

how's that for an abstract and emotional post? must be the fact that mary forced me to go on a run today. i am mentally and physically exhausted! on top of my super intense exercising i've been preparing for strasbourg! i'm flying into frankfurt on wednesday and have to make a bus change in germany that i'm pretty nervous about but i handled jfk back in august and i can do this now! can't wait to see the lovely faces of my strasbourg posse :) and as an added bonus, ted and kate will be joining from scotland! and let's not forget my main man USHER, who we will be chilling with on sunday. woooo!

love you all so much :)