Anticipating America...

Summer camp this week was amazing, and for the first time I have a moment to post the promised blog about what I'm looking forward to about home. During this coming week I also plan to share some great summer camp pictures and hopefully a post about the things I'm sad to leave... things which are starting to invade my brain. Thankfully, over the last few weeks of being really really excited to go home I have noted some of the random things I am really looking forward to about my time in the States. I'll make some notes about why as well:

I'm looking forward to... BAKING
As I have mentioned previously on here and as any of you who have met me know, I love baking. It is my favorite thing to do to relax and also a way I love to share with others. I haven't had an oven here, and tools and ingredients have been hard to come by. Once, out of desperation, I steamed a cake on the stove. I can't wait to get into a fully-stocked kitchen and to pump out some good old favorites! (Get hungry, Mom and Dad!)

I'm looking forward to... driving
Thanks to my amazingly generous friend Tamara, I have been able to drive some here. But I look forward to getting around on my own, not being sooo worried about using gas (maybe 4x more expensive here), and just the lovely roads we have in the States.

I'm looking forward to... seeing my clothes
I know, this is petty. But I do, I look forward to changing out my wardrobe, wearing more than plain long-sleeved shirts and less than attractive pants every day. The wardrobe I've had has worked great and suited its purpose... but it'll be nice to have a little diversity!

I'm looking forward to... seeing some babies
I need to meet a few good friends' new babies, and see a few who have probably doubled in size since Christmastime. I can't wait to hold them!

I'm looking forward to... going to TNBS
TNBS stands for Tuesday Night Bible Study... as in the best Bible study I've ever been a part of and the group of people I consider my closest church home. I love being intimate enough to be called out on stuff, challenged to go deeper in my walk with Christ, trusted, prayed for, encouraged, and in turn doing the same for others. I know it'll have changed but I can't wait anyway!

I'm looking forward to... vacuuming???
Yeah, this one is really random. Although I am very impressed by the Arab cleaning style, I can't keep up with all the sweeping and mopping. I constantly feel like my house is a mess. So yes, I look forward to vacuuming (or at least being able to)!

I'm looking forward to... Starbucks and Trader Joe's
This is so embarrassingly American, but these are just a few places I enjoy enough that just going there changes my mood!

I'm looking forward to... Costco with Mom
Related, but I have so many memories from my childhood shopping with my mom and thinking of meals to prepare and parties to plan. Maybe my favorite part was when she'd let me get a huge ice cream for $1. For whatever reason, I still look forward to these trips!

Most of all, I look forward to seeing friends and family and spending time with them. It is my hope that this time in the States will serve to refresh and allow me to refocus before taking the next steps in my journey! I hope also that I can be an encouragement.