Missing Home

Yesterday, today, and hopefully not tomorrow, have been pretty hard when it comes to my homesickness level. I'm probably about an 8 of of 10 (1 = don't miss home at all, and 10 = booking my flight home). I miss my best friend, I miss all my friends, I miss my family, I miss my dog, I miss my bed, I miss my car, I miss knowing my way around, I miss air conditioning, I miss Taco Lu, I miss living in the same town as my brother and sister and only 2 hours away from my parents. And not only do I miss all these things now, I am also afraid of what I am going to be missing in a couple of months... Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have never missed a family holiday, and while I feel like I don't know much about myself these days, I do know one thing - traditions are incredibly important to me, and I can't take it if they don't go the way I remember them.

This is how Thanksgiving is supposed to go: My dad and I, and sometimes my brother, wake up early Thanksgiving morning to run the Turkey Trot - a 5k run. You get to see a bunch of familiar faces you haven't seen since last year, and get some exercise in so you don't feel as guilty about eating a week's worth of calories in one sitting. After we're finished with the race (I always lose to my dad, but I like it that way. I honestly hope I never beat him), we head home for Thanksgiving breakfast. This always includes cinnamon rolls, eggs, and bacon (turkey bacon for dad). After we digest, we lounge around watching the parade on TV, and then I start helping my mom in the kitchen. Mom and I are cooking and cooking all day, always running a little late, always having to force ourselves to get into the shower to get ready for dinner. Our family friends come over to our house, or we head to theirs, and always have an amazing time telling old stories. There is always a turkey and mashed potatoes, my 'aunt' makes sweet potato casserole with pecans on half, my mom makes brown sugared onions, and of course, my dad makes the infamous broccoli puff. Thanksgiving would be all wrong without it. Cheesy, creamy broccoli casserole with a buttery ritz cracker topping. Easy crowd favorite. Wouldn't matter if we had a five-star chef making a five-star dish. Broccoli puff has a special place in all our hearts - every year. Something usually gets burned, the gravy only come out good every other year ... I love Thanksgiving. And I am so scared about how much I'm going to miss it. So scared I am already worrying about it, and it's September. And don't even get me started on Christmas. Ugh, growing up and moving away sucks sometimes...

PS Mom please don't cry after you read this. It is hard to move away, but that doesn't mean it isn't good for me. It just feels better to get it out. I almost didn't write this because I didn't want to make you sad : )