The countdown begins. T-minus 10...

As I was lying in bed last night, it struck me - in ten days I will be stepping on the plane and starting an amazing journey to a new world.  Panicked, heart racing, I started to think about some of the things I might not see/do/eat for a while.  The list started getting long and longer.

Some things I will miss:

-Beef.  Where I live there are more cattle (and sheep) than people.  I am really going to miss a large, medium-rare steak.  And burgers.  And pot roast on a fall evening... As a Texan whose in-laws raise cattle, it is very hard for me to think of a menu without beef.  I might be able to scrape up enough yen to try a bite of Kobe beef, but it looks like I will be getting my carnivore on with pork or poultry for a while.

-Good Tex-Mex.  Living in South Dakota, I already miss this one, but you can still find the ingredients at least.  I wonder what you could substitute for quesadillas and tacos in Japan? Hmmm…..

-A well-stocked pantry and freezers(s).  Actually, having space to collect (read hoard) food, books, movies, or clothes at all.  I have a lot of superfluous stuff.  Maybe this experience will teach me to be more minimalistic.

-My 90’s style X-Men shirt.  Also my Doctor Who shirt, Firefly shirt, and all my other favorite fandom shirts.  Fifty pounds for one suitcase is really not enough!  Perhaps I should view this as a chance to reinvent my style.  My fashionista sister would probably approve.  But how will anyone know how much of a geek I am?

-Deep philosophical and political discussions on long car rides.  When you are stuck in a car for 2+ hours with a well-read and incredibly intelligent person, you can have some really mind-altering conversations about world politics, religion, and the human condition.  Or just talk for ten hours about X-men.  You know, whatever.

-Working in the garden.  Nothing beats the taste of fresh veggies you grew and nurtured yourself.  Or your mother-in-law did because you seem to have a black thumb and can only succeed in growing cucumbers (which you absolutely hate).  

-Sunflower fields in August.  Also flax and canola fields earlier in the year.

-Fresh french bread from the farmers market.  There is a girl that sells the best loaves.  It is usually gone by the time I drive three blocks home.

-Lawnmowers driving up and down the street in front of my house.

-Being in the same or similar time zone as my family.  No more calling just to say hi or because something surprising happened.  No one wants a call at 2AM. 

This fuzzy face-

And this fuzzy face -

And this fuzzy face -

And most of all, this fuzzy face -