Some Things I'll Miss (& Some I Won't)

 

The countdown is on – just under 5 weeks left in Indonesia!!! My sister Marilyn encourages me to enjoy our remaining time here because she thinks there are things I’ll miss about Bandung when I’m gone. Hmm….let me see …

I will for sure miss my expat friend Helen and our photo outings!

I will not miss this funky smelling apartment or the cicaks (lizards) that we’ve shared it with.

 

I will not miss the trash fires that occur at all times of the day or the smoke that comes in through the windows.

I will miss seeing Ibu Aisah’s (our cleaning lady) sweet face and Ferry (our driver) and all of his help.

 

I will miss seeing the ladies in the Bible study each week, especially Marcia (however, she is returning to the states in June).

I will not miss having to have someone drive me everywhere I want to go.

I will not miss all the weird odors and the trash that is literally everywhere I look.

I will not miss not having to use bottled water to brush my teeth or boiling water each time I want to wash some dishes.

 

I will not miss having to wipe off every eating utensil I use because I don’t know what might have crawled on it.

I will miss the great outlet prices and how almost everything here is negotiable.

 

I will miss the cheap fruit (especially the fresh pineapples) but I will not miss having to worry about everything I eat making me sick.

I will miss the friendly faces of the Indonesians, but I will not miss being stared at and feeling like a spectacle everywhere I go.

 

I will miss the little church we’ve attended but I look forward to getting back to our own church and friends there.

 

I will miss the wonderful weather here in Bandung, but I will not miss the rainy season, or the mold!

I will miss sleeping on a mattress that doesn’t hurt my back, but I plan to remedy that as soon as I get home!

 

I will miss the never ending photo ops here, but I will re-join the photo club and take lots of photos of Henry.

 

I will not miss someone having to wait on me every time I go into a store or do anything outside the apartment.

 

I have missed doing my own laundry and I will not miss wearing smelly clothes!

I have missed using name brand products, both groceries and cleaning products. I will not miss using products that are unknown to me or that don’t work very well.

I will not miss worrying about getting run over when I take a walk or attempt to cross the street.

I will not miss hearing the prayer calls 5 times a day!

I will not miss public bathrooms in Indonesia!!!

I will not miss clumps of unidentifiable green stuff coming out of the faucets and toilets.

 

And I will NOT miss rats dying and stinking in our attic (17, count ‘em).

Yes, there are things I will miss, and things that I won’t. Can I say I am glad to have had this experience? Surely when I get back to the comfort of our own home, I will say yes. I can certainly say already that I am glad to have met some of the people I have met during our time here.

But being half way around the world for this length of time has made me appreciate the things of home even more, even the very water that we so take for granted. It’s fun to travel and experience new things, but there truly is no place like home and especially if it’s inside the good ole USA!!