Things I Look Forward To

July 27th, 2018

What once seemed so distant is now imminent.  We are moving back to Boston.  It is with a mixture of excitement and sadness and denial that we are mentally preparing for our return.  For most of the year, it seemed mean-spirited and counterproductive to focus on what I missed about the US, but now it is starting to feel productive and necessary.  Today I would like to focus on those things:  the parts that I can now look forward to enjoying very soon.

1)  Target---A store where I can buy a large fraction of the things I need for my everyday existence cheaply and easily.  And pretty much everyone there speaks English, so I can always ask about things I can't find.

2)  A fenced-in back yard---Taking Sandy on multiple walks around Paris every day has been an important cultural experience for us, as well as decent exercise and usually a lovely and enjoyable break.  Sometime, though, you really want to just open a door and let your dog run outside to pee.

3)  My decks and porches---Mostly I really enjoyed living in an urban apartment, but I did miss having the indoor-outdoor transitional spaces we have in our house, such as our front porch and our back deck, both of which have tables for outdoor dining.  

4)  A bigger kitchen---I look forward to having counter space again, multiple ovens, each of which could accommodate regular-sized cookie sheets or a turkey, an icemaker, and a large fridge.  

5)  A standard-sized washer and dryer that actually wash and dry---Not too much elaboration is necessary here.

6)  AC---I am planning to write a blog soon about my long-standing and deeply-felt opposition to over-air-conditioned public spaces.  Today, though, it is 97 degrees in Paris, and we have no AC at work or at home.  So that blog will wait---my heart's just not in it.  Right now, I would do anything for just a tiny, little bit of AC. 

7)  Being able to communicate with everyone---I wrote before about some of the unexpected pleasures of not being fluent in the dominant language as well as the ways that I was able to communicate in important non-verbal ways.  I also wrote about the great satisfaction I feel as my French improves and when I hear Kate speaking pretty much fluently.  However, I think I will find it a relief on balance to have everyone around me speaking English.

8)  Being competent---Related but more broad than the language thing is just the sense that I know how everything works and can figure stuff out.  I feel that way in Boston, much less so in Paris.

8)  Brooklyn 99---Not only has NBC decided to pick it up after it was cancelled by Fox, but I never became tech savvy enough to watch season 5 here, so I get to watch two entire seasons of it next year. 

9)  The Red Sox---Looking forward to listening on the radio, watching on the TV, and going to Fenway.

10)  Branch Line and Max & Leo's and Siena Farms---Two of my favorite restaurants and my favorite source for produce.  

11)  Friends and family---Can't wait to reconnect, see everyone, and catch up on a whole year's worth of news and events.  (Important clarification:  By "news and events," I mean the personal and local, not the political and national.  Unfortunately, I'm already pretty well caught up on the latter.)  

(Update:  Also good Mexican food, Chinese food, and BBQ.  And decent tap water.  And my icemaker.  (I think I already said that but I really mean it.))