Gina writes:

A few weeks ago, Corey and I were watching a movie on his computer. One of the characters was walking down the cereal aisle in a big supermarket and Corey and I simultaneously blurted out, "Oh, the cereal aisle!" or something to that effect.

Last week, I was evaluating some education films for work. In one scene, some people in San Francisco were meeting about a project. They had their calendars and notepads out and were planning for upcoming weeks. A melancholy feeling washed over me as I thought, "Oh, calendars...preparation...planning..."

It sounds so trivial to mention these two incidents, but it's interesting to note the little things that I miss about the U.S. Let me be clear, there are the big things that I really wish I had, like hot water and reliable, fast internet, but the following list contains the things that have made me sigh at times.

Carpet - I haven't seen a carpeted floor for 9 months. It's not practical here, with the bugs, the moisture, and the dust. However, when it's colder in Koraput, like in winter or like now in the rainy season, I sometimes long for a soft, warm place for my feet.

Door knobs - The picture below shows it better than I can explain it, but every door that I have seen in India has a handle and a slide latch on each side. So the door doesn't actually close tight unless it's latched on one side.

It may seem so mundane, but the problem is that the breeze causes the doors to make soft banging noises when they are closed, but not locked. Some nights, when Corey goes to bed before me, I have to lock him in so that the door banging doesn't wake him up. In the morning, Corey wakes up before me and locks me in the bedroom until I wake up and knock/yell to be released!

Sidewalks - Thought I've gotten very used to navigating my way between cows, cow patties, vehicles, people, and now mud, I sometimes really miss the ease of walking on a nice, clean, empty sidewalk. It's hard to take note of and enjoy your surroundings when you must constantly watch the ground.

Voicemail - For some reason, the cell plans here don't include a voice mail service. When I call someone and they don't answer or aren't in an area with cell coverage, I have to either send a text message following the phone call or just call back later. It can take a long time to put the relevant information in a text message. Annoying.

Cheese - I don't know if cheese fits in this category, because I REALLY miss it. And I'm not talking about cheeses like brie, and Irish farm cheddar, or anything classy like that. The thing I miss is bright orange, sharp cheddar cheese...and mozzarella cheese. The cheese that is sometimes available in Koraput is white and pretty much tasteless, kind of like Kraft singles, but worse. I grew up in Wisconsin, I want some cheese, please!