We are leaving in 2 days and I can't say that I'm not pumped to go home. Don't get me wrong: I've had an awesome time and couldn't have asked for a more stress-free summer. But I'm so ready to take a real shower, have electricity all the time, understand more than 80% of what is said to me in all conversations, and not kill spiders everywhere I go. I'm ready to get back to a normal routine. I'm ready to eat right (I've had enough mnakeesh to last a lifetime this month...and it shows) and start working out again. It's funny- I anticipated running a lot here, at least a few times a week. But the #1 detterant from running hasn't been my laziness or unwillingness to run. It has, in fact, been the thought of showering that really turned me off to running here. The shower situation at my dad's house is attrocious. There is only hot water if there is electricity, which is rarely the case. Also, the old design of the bathroom lacks many modern conveniences, like a shower curtain. The tub is TINY and for some reason it has a sort of step in it. So the lower part that you have to stand on to be under the water is about a foot, maybe less, and there is a step above that is also maybe a foot so it's nearly impossible to stand with both feet on the same level. I've found myself mostly standing like the captain to take an effective shower. Also, the tub is very close to the wall (too close...) so arm movement is limited. And if you bend the wrong way, you run the risk of burning your ass on the little pipe that runs hot water from the water heater to the shower. Plus, seeing that there is no shower curtain, every movement results in puddles on the floor. As you can imagine, showering is something I've been doing only when absolutely necessary.

All that to say that I haven't been running much. So I'm excited to work on that at home.

I also really miss my regular life in the States. I miss the dark basement when sunlight doesn't wake me up at 6:30, I miss people not constantly reminding me/feeling bad for me for not being married, I miss tap water, lounging with my roommates, BBM and regular cell phone use, and I miss knowing what is going on with other people and other places. Has anything major happened?! Because if it has, I've totally missed it.

I did finish my book here and I'm going to highly recommend The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (thanks Kaitlyn, Amanda, and Jimmy). It was great. Of course I didn't bring the next book in the series with me since I didn't think I would finish The Lightening Theif and read 600+ pages here. I was wrong. Now it's just another thing to look forward to.

I am very much going to miss the carefree attitude I have had here.Time is no t a concern or a priority for these people. I haven't been stressed in a VERY long time. I'm not excited to get back to thinking about apartment hunting and the rapidly approaching school year. (did you see the 4th graders last year? this is not going to be pretty....) I'm also going to miss people here- people I knew and people I've gotten to know. Karen, Sophie, and Brooke left for Dubai today and I'm glad we are leaving soon after them- I can't imagine staying too long without them. Inshallah we meet again soon.

All in all, great trip. I wish I could have blogged more, but really, I'm not upset that I didn't spend more time in front of a computer. I'm ready to come home and teach Ange all the new phrases I learned :)