There's No Place Like Home

I stole this idea from Buffin’s blog [which you can check out by clicking here]. Without further ado, and in no particular order, the abridged version of my “Things I Miss” list:

1. My bed, with its cotton-sateen sheets and memory foam mattress topper
2. Watching television on an actual television: Gossip Girl, Grey’s Anatomy, The Office, Saturday Night Live and anything on Turner Classic Movies or HGTV
3. My Blackberry
4. Being able to call my sister when I’m having a bad day (ten minutes on the phone with her and I’m good to go)
5. The cereal aisle at any given grocery store
6. Two words: wireless internet
7. Catching a late afternoon showing of a movie that no one else wants to see (let alone has even heard of) at The River Oaks with Paige
8. Any and all Mexican food (namely Jose’s dip from Molina’s)
9. My closet. Oh God, the heels. The glorious high heels.
10. Driving
11. The guaranteed ability to communicate with any given person on the street
12. Feeling clean. Like, really, truly clean.
13. BBMing with Mary Stewart about The Bachelorette, the previous night out and, obviously, boys
14. Early morning walks around Rice in the fall
15. Being up in Hunt with my family: floating on the Guadalupe, morning coffee on the back porch, inside jokes, a cooler that miraculously refills itself with Corona Light and sliced limes, prank wars, playing Apples to Apples, and leaving Criders early because the only people we really want to talk to are each other
16. Shopping at CVS and all that it entails – magazines, cheap makeup, new shampoo, gum...the list goes on
17. Chicken salad from The French House
18. “Cain and Abel’s?” text messages from Amy...at noon on a Sunday
19. Lazy afternoons on the couch with Phillip, including the inevitable fight over the furry blanket and laughing at each other's jokes like we are the most hilarious people in the world
20. DVR
21. The California Connection from Central Market
22. Texas Football and all that it entails (tailgating at Fiji, “Texas Fight”, sneaking in pocket shots, and a sea of burnt orange)
23. Being around someone as grounded and rational as Amanda (it's got to start rubbing off at some point, right?)
24. Spending hours at the “libarily” with Molly and Walker + long chats with Jenny (and hugs from all three)
25. The Wayside Room at HCC: Sunday brunch, Planter’s Punches, gazpacho, the avocado citrus salad, and the fact that I don’t have to pay
26. Being able to drink water straight from the faucet
27. Whiling away the afternoon on the Frazier couch, chatting with Allison, Greg and Jeannie (Gus, too). Plus, the mandatory popcorn.
28. My ionic hairdryer
29. My hair after using said ionic hairdryer
30. Treating myself to a new book at Borders
31. Ice cream in bed with Mallory
32. Breakfast for dinner and study snacks at the Kappa House
33. Summer sippin’ with Willie
34. Goode Company BBQ (lemonade and a chopped beef sandwich with onions, pickles and extra sauce, please)
35. Girls’ night in with Mamie when David is out of town (a Palazzo’s pizza, Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies and a good movie)
36. Strawberries. And blueberries. Oh, and raspberries and blackberries.
37. Soaking in the tub with a glass of red wine
38. Long walks with Frances (and then coming home to drink beer on the roof, watch Lost and devour the cookies/cake/muffins she’s whipped up)
39. Dinner dates with Dad and the pep talk that usually comes with them
40. The steam room and the snack counter at the HCC gym. The elliptical machines? Not so much.
41. I can’t believe I’m saying this...Lizzard’s, The Dillo, Vintage and The Gallant Knight. (Remind me of this when I’m back for a month and already complaining).
42. Therapy sessions with Rachel
43. Central air conditioning and heating
44. Falling asleep to the sound of my Hammacher Schlemmer noise machine. Better than Ambien.
45. A dryer and an oven (who knew appliances were so awesome?)
46. Brunch at Buffalo Grille and The Fountainview Café
47. Knowing for certain that the toilet is going to flush
48. Dancing to Taylor Swift with Mariann and David’s puppy, Jackson
49. Bluebell
50. Walking down the street and not being gawked at by every. single. person. that goes by

With that said, I will now go back to the happy life I lead in Shanghai – which, despite this list of wants, I do love very much. Because I know everything is right where I left it, and will be waiting for me when I get home in February. But if you happen to find out a way to ship queso to China, by all means, let me know.