Do you miss home?

If I had a dollar for every time someone asks me if I miss home, I think I might honestly be a millionaire, or at least pretty darn close.

Do you miss home?
It's a natural question to ask someone who is in a foreign country and has no choice but to stay for almost a full six months, so I understand the reasoning behind asking it.  What I don't understand is my inability to answer it without confusing myself and the person who asked the question.  Prior to coming here, whenever someone asked me what I was afraid of, I always said that I was afraid of what would change at home while I was gone.  What would I come home to?  Would relationships be the same, different?  Would I struggle missing out on so much?  While away would I be able to be present, just not physically?  Therefore, the whole 'do you miss home?' question perplexes me all the time.

Do I miss home?
The actual home, yes lots.  The natural feeling of safety, the people, the comfort, our new couch (even if my neck almost breaks to watch tv), our porch, big backyard, close proximity to a farm and  a city, but usually quiet.  I miss all that.

I miss the people like you wouldn't believe.  My mom and dad.  My goodness, do I miss them.  For the past 20 years I have taken for-granted how great they are, and so this time without them is hard.  But it's not completely bad, because I'm being forced to be independent, to work through problems and feelings alone and try my best to do what I think they would tell me to do.  Regardless, this experience is giving me a new appreciation for them as parents and people, and for the constant support they offer me...even if they don't always agree with all of my ideas ;)

My sisters.  I miss them all so much.  Meghan is rockin' it as a mommy, a follower of Christ, and the best teacher ever, and I can't wait to go to school at her house some day!  Caity is doing her thing with her super cool top secret job being smarter than I will ever be.  Abby is making me one proud sister as she is finding her way and making her presence known on the other side of the country, while having a long distance relationship with my future brother-in-law (let's be real, it's gonna happen).  And Alexis...Alexis is moving into her dorm tomorrow and I am so excited for her and all that she is going to experience and learn in this next stage of life.  She is beautiful, bright, and so ready to learn and grow, and I so wish I could see it.

My friends.  I miss them a ton.  Every time I skype Lauren I feel like I can tackle whatever is ahead.  I remember one time we were skyping and I was venting to her about something and she just gave me the best advice.  I was telling her about a tough decision I had to make and that I thought the uncomfortable decision was the one I should make, but that I was afraid of it because it was uncomfortable.  She simply said, "So did you go to Cordoba to be comfortable or uncomfortable?"  Coming from the person that just may know be best, that was exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I needed to hear it.  Some things never change.

There are a thousand other people I miss- my grandma, all my family, my nieces (they are growing up too fast), my brothers-in-law, my second set of parents (AKA- Jane and Larry), all of my friends, the field hockey team, the Eastern community, I could go on forever.  The point is that yes, of course I miss home.  Who in this situation would not miss home?  But I also don't feel sad about it.  I don't feel like I want to go home, not now.  I think I will be ready in December, or at least closer to being ready, but now, no.  I am here and I love it here.

With all that said, this past week has been busy but good.  My real classes started, so woo-hoo to advanced grammar and Latin American culture!  I actually really do like the classes.  In an odd way I love that my grammar teacher interrupts me kindly every time I make a mistake.  It's tough love, but it's what I need.  And my culture professor is brilliant, so I'm excited about all that I will learn from her.

Last weekend, I went to my speaking partner's apartment and learned how to make noquis (I forget what we call this in the states, but it's pasta made out of potatoes). My goodness, so good, and seemingly simple to make from scratch!  Below is a picture of the noquis before they were put into the boiling water.  Just potatoes, parsley, eggs, and flour mixed together, rolled out, and cut into little pieces.

We also made a homemade sauce to go over them.  Just tomatoes, onions, carrots, meat, sugar, salt, and I forget what else, but don't worry, i have the recipe! :)  Here's the sauce simmering.

And then we ate it all with some super good red wine, and it was marvelous.

I love that I am learning how to make family recipes from my friends here, and how I am truly delving into this culture.  My speaking partner told me that I am starting to talk like a Cordobesa...yayyy!!!  I guess my accent is getting there and I am catching on to more of the slang here.  Sometimes I feel like my Spanish is improving so much and then other times (when someone says something, and I literally do not catch one word) I just wonder if I will ever get to a point of near fluency.  But I think I'm getting there.  I am speaking in Spanish all the time, writing in Spanish, listening to Spanish, watching tv in Spanish, I am even thinking in Spanish now.  When I am skyping someone from home in English, both languages come to mind.  It makes me so excited and I feel like all the hard work may just be paying off!