But moving around this much, constantly changing my setting, it's a little harder to carve out my own slice. All this means, then, is that while I do enjoy the local experience and I find all the newness exciting, I am constantly adjusting and readjusting. As a result, in this trip more than any other, I find there are more things that I miss. I was thinking about this the other day and all the things that I want from home, thinking to myself, what will I do with my first day back home? I made a list. Just for entertainment value, here are the sorts of things that a wandering soul craves.
(This of course does not include the obvious things of my friends and family. That is a given)
- mashed potatoes: this has been my most persistant craving. It's accompaniment changes. Sometimes it's turkey with gravy, sometimes meatloaf, what matters is the creamy, buttery taters, just like Grammie used to make.
- blue cheese dressing: (Ken's, to be exact) It is hard enough to find salad in Iberia, but if you do find some it is served either with a thick mayonaise sauce or the occasional tasty balsamic. What I would do for a big salad--loaded with different veggies--dressed with blue cheese... mmmmm
- biore pore strips: ok, I know, incredibly girlie and all, but I don't care. You just feel so clean and refreshed after using them. I have felt really clean only once on this trip, and that was after an intense scrubbing at a traditional hammam in Morocco.
- dressing nice: Nothing against comfy travel clothes. I am by no means a dressy gal, but every once in a while it is nice to look like I didn't just roll out of my laundry basket.
- a varied diet: All three countries which I have spent my time in so far have very repetetive diets. The same food is available everywhere, and the "local specialties" are constantly consumed. In Portugal I got sick of hamburgers and fries, in Spain, I was sick of ham sandwiches on a baguette, and in Morocco I could eat no more couscous or Tagine. In the US, in a week's time I can have pad thai, pizza, a burrito, sushi, chinese take out, clam chowder and then pupusas. I am salivating just thinking of it!
- oil-free food: Portugal, Spain and Morocco all use olive oil for everything. It is cooked with, poured on bread, and drizzled on food. In fact, I was sick from it for a while. I OD'd on olive oil. You may think this sounds crazy, until you have been burping up olive oil for 5 days. I want eggs with butter, bread with peanut butter, fish with lemon, and a salad with blue cheese dressing!!! No more olive oil for a while.
- cooking: I know it must sound like needless complaining, but I miss just being able to open the fridge and prepare my own food. Cafes are nice, but after a whilethey grow tiresome. Now, whenever possible, I make use of the kitchens of friends or hostels. The other day I was in heaven eating pasta with sauce and parmasean, even though I never make it at home. It was just predictable and comfortable food.
- familiarty: Every so often I get that pang. I want to know where the things are that I need; I want to know how to get where I need to go; I want to understand the conversations around me; I want to lounge on the couch in my pj's and channel surf, chatting on the phone and joking with friends. Being somewhere new, learning new social expectations, working in an unfamiliar language all just makes your brain tired. Funny how it is always like this. When you are somewhere familiar, you crave new, but after you have had enough new, you crave the familiar. Murphy's law.
As I drafted this list, I realized it was dominated by food relateds items. After friends and family, the next thing I think about is food. I wonder what that says about me...
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