1. Target! I really, really, really miss Target. You would think that not having a Target basically blocks from your home (like I had in Texas) would save one money. However, when you have to drive all over creation to try and find what you are looking for and then pay a whole lot more for it, even though you are shopping less frequently you aren't necessarily saving money.
2. Having good friends. These aren't in order by the way! Dugald was out of town the other night and we were having quite a storm and I was worried about all sorts of things (the alarm going off again, leaks, floods, etc) that I shouldn't have been worried about, but it hit me that I don't know who I would call here in the middle of the night if I did need help.
3. Insulated housing. I mentioned one of my favorite things is fresh air, but one of my least favorite things is being freezing on those cold days because even though you have central heat it is blowing right out the windows while the cold air blows right in. Oh yeah - and the windows are dripping wet, with puddles beneath them, in the mornings when the heat has been on. Crazy.
4. Central Vacuum Cleaners. They have them here I'm told, but I don't have one and it would be nice, especially since, like my grandmother before me, I am vacuuming every 15 minutes.
5. Chick-Fil-A - the place where Moms with pre-schoolers (and homeschoolers) go for a break on a rainy day.
6. Amazon.com - I can still order from Amazon but I have to be prepared to pay an absolute ton for the shipping. Boo.
7. Customer Service - The good news - nobody tips. The bad news - because nobody tips customer service varies wildly from place to place and sometimes just doesn't exist. We went to a restaurant for dinner one night and waited an hour for our food, I am so not used to that!
8. Just knowing where things are, how to find them, what to expect to pay for them, how to get there, etc. I am on a steep learning curve and at times it can be exhausting.
9. My favorite TV shows - if they do have them here they are several seasons behind. In a way this is a blessing because I fall asleep if we try to watch T.V. after 9 pm anyway, but there are days I long for the American version of "What Not To Wear" or to know what is currently happening on "Grey's Anatomy".
10. Lastly I miss the bigness of America. Living in a small country has benefits (no waiting lists for activities for the kids; the vet, grocery clerk, baker, librarian etc all know us; no traffic, at least not very often) but there are times when it is just a bummer, like when you want selection and variety when shopping, or when you want one-stop shopping, or when you want services online or in person that are easily accessible and customer-service oriented, etc.
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