Some Things I'm Going to Miss and Some I'm Looking Forward To

A few little things I've been thinking of lately in terms of things I'm going to miss about this island and some things I'm looking forward to back on the mainland. I don't have any desire for time to speed up or slow down, as it is the same regardless. I am still very content with where I am, at peace with my life on all sorts of levels. Not very often do I talk to people that are at peace with their lives. I am thankful for having such a quality and mindset. My mentor from college told me as much that it is a rare quality. Anyways... I just didn't want anyone to think I wish I was out of here tomorrow or that I wish I was never leaving. Content I am.

Yet, I thought it would be fun to put together to put together these little lists that have been developing in my brain on a post of their own. I am currently about 9 weeks away from landing back in Nebraska, so that's less than two-hands worth of fingers, ya know. I know some people really enjoy countdowns. The big 10 started last week.

Things I'm Going to Miss about American Samoa:

• Mountainous backgrounds (although, I can still have this depending on where I end up moving next)
• Being able to go hiking or walking through the rainforest basically anytime I want
• Sticking my hitchiker thumb out and actually being picked up rather than stared at
• Being picked up randomly by really friendly strangers and getting to meet so many people that way
• Riding in the backs of pickup trucks with the wind blowing through my hair
• Pani popo (although, I've only had it once... perhaps I can attempt to make some of my own)
• How the sky is never the same here with clouds of all shapes and sizes, colors changing, and shadows on the mountains changing
• All the produce stands where I can buy a set of bananas for $1, a papaya $1, string beans $0.50, cucumbers $2...

Things I'm Looking Forward to Back on the Mainland

• Having a chirpopractor I can visit whenever I like
• Not enduring humidity 24/7 humidity (mostly for the sake of my sinuses)
• Not having ants scurrying about my kitchen counter and sink
• Having the coffee maker in the kitchen (although, this instant suffices at home)
• Having an ice cream maker to make all the homemade ice cream I want
• Seeing Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market for food experiments
• Having a blender to experiment with healthy smoothies
• Not having roosters that crow throughout the night
• Being able to text with my friends again whenever we want and have instantaneous responses
• Hugs for family and friends
• Having some homemade specialties from Mom, Granny B, and Grandma Wingert
• Being able to walk into a big library or bookstore and enjoy that nice book smell

So there are a few growing lists of some small things that pop into my brain from time to time. My brain is usually thinking about something, humming a song, or who knows what.

I realized as I wrote about the sky changing I completely forgot to mention in my Easter post about the beautiful view as I was standing outside of church waiting for sunrise service to start. Gazing at Matafou Peak, the tallest peak on this island, it was all still in shadow - a bluish blackish gray. With light blue gray skies in the background, with some sparse and fluffy clouds. Man, if only I had my camera in that moment, although I am sure it would have done a poor job of capturing what my eyes were witnessing and swimming in.... blissful. Such a peaceful and beautiful view. One that is ingrained in the back of my brain still today. I had never seen that peak all still in a light shadow before as the sun had not come up and over yet. Beautiful... just beautiful.