Twelve Reasons

Brian and I are getting a little anxious to get home to everything familiar to us. We've been thinking about it for a little while now... I've come up with 12 reasons why we look forward to getting home, even though we have enjoyed living in Germany this summer.

1. Window coverings. The aparment we're in now has HUGE windows... no window coverings. Thats especially bad at 4:30 in the morning when it gets very light outside (and inside). We've made do with sheets over the bedroom windows, but I miss Allison's black out drapes... she sleeps past 5 in the morning with those on the windows
2. No loud birds. Seriously... the birds here are freakishly loud and, like the light, get started at 4 am.
3. Allison's own room. Brian and I have relinquished the one bedroom in our flat here to Allison thinking that maybe we'd get a little more sleep. No such luck (reasons 1 & 2 lead to Allison thinking 5 am is the perfect time to wake up for the day).
4. Moutains. They block light when its too early in the morning for it to be getting light outside.
5. Adult friends. We miss you guys!
6. English. Not only is it a beautiful language, but we speak it fluently and understand it nearly effortlessly.
7. Memory foam matress topper. Enough said...
8. More than 2 TV channels. The only channels in English here are are CNN International and BBC World, and I'm sure sick of international news over and over again. I think I may never watch the news again...
9. Allison's toys. This poor girls has just been getting so bored (and cranky to go with it) with no real toys to play with.
10. Space for projects. With not much to do in the evenings (since Allison is asleep) Brian and I are both getting anxious to get back to our hobbies at home.
11. A car! Don't get me wrong, public transport is great here! But I do look forward to not having to carry all my groceries home from the market.
12. More sleep, hopefully! Between the light, the birds and the early waking child who has been sharing our room for almost 2 months, we really hope that going home and getting settled back in will equal sleeping past 5 am on a daily basis.

No place like home indeed, even when you've been somewhere fun and exciting. Only 11 more days, and those should go quick... London and Paris, here we come!