What I’ll Miss

What will you miss most about living in the US?

1.  Of course the obvious answer is people.  Certain people, specifically.  Family, close friends, MAF HQ family, etc.  I think right now, most on my mind is our church family here in Idaho.  I considered a long, blathering post in which I went on and on about how wonderful our church family here is and how much they mean to us.  But, just thinking about it made me cry…and it probably wouldn’t be an interesting read.  But, oh man, how we will miss our United Reformed Church of Nampa folks!!!

2.  Diner Food.  I love it.  I love it so much.  I love little Mom and Pop Diners that serve breakfast all day, greasy burgers, oily fries, diner coffee, and specialize in eggs benedict.  And I think it really is special here in the US.  There are lots of food I will miss, but this is something I will miss most.

3.  Jimmy Fallon.  Yeah, I said it.  And I mean it.  Matthew and I watch Jimmy’s Tonight Show clips on Hulu (for free, ya’ll – get with it) the day after they air on TV.  Hashtags, Thank You Notes, Hashtag the Panda, his silly games, his love for music and his incredible talent.  I’ll miss it a lot.  I MIGHT be able to watch clips depending on how licensing works on YouTube in France, but I can’t bank on it.  But, once in Congo, the internet speed is not often fast enough to stream any video.  Jimmy’s show is special to me because he started his Late Show the exact same week I left my full time job while pregnant with Levi.  I would stay up late to wait for Matthew, who worked evening shift, and watch his show every night.  I sound like an old lady, but tough cookies…I’ll miss my program!

However, with these three things that I’ll miss in a strangely equal way, I can say that I won’t feel empty.

I will find new friends (and already have some waiting in BOTH France and Congo) who will likely become family.

And good food?  I’m moving to Europe, helloooooo tasty deliciousness!  And I miss the food in Congo frequently already.

And Jimmy?  Well, there’s no new replacement for my Fallon Fix, but I’ll get over it.

And, of course, Matthew and I seek to be at home and live wherever we are.  We will miss the things we love most about life in the US, but we’ll also be busy loving the things we enjoy in our life in our new locations.

I think this will be my last post until we’ve safely landed in France – one week from today we’ll be in the air!  Please be praying for a smooth transition.  Check the Instagram photos I’m sure to be posting in the meantime (if you’re not following me, you can see them on the sidebar of our website).  We have much to do, but are feeling good about the progress being made.

Catch you on the flip side.