Farther than We've Ever Been

Sam: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.

Frodo: Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

It's official: This is now the longest period of time Eric and I have ever been away from the United States. One-twelfth of our time in Kenya has come to a close. It is different, not being here for a short trip. It's starting to feel like home instead of this weird foreign country. Not even thinking about it much, it feels natural to be meeting people, getting used to life at the hospital, investing. We of course mostly miss the easy communication with family and friends. But otherwise, we've compiled a list of things we do and do not miss about the US. Maybe it will be a surprise what we don't miss!

Things we miss:

Family

Knox (both the church and the community)

Being able to go out--to a movie, to dinner, to anywhere

Trader Joe's

Target

Wine

Great L&D nurses at St. Joe's

Ancillary staff

Things getting done at the hospital when you write an order...

Chinese dumplings

Washtenaw Dairy

Our bikes

Fast internet

Surgeries getting started on time

Being able to effectively communicate with at least 90% of our patients

Things we don't miss:

HIPPA

Documentation and dictation

Traffic/commuting to work--only a 5 minute walk

Cold weather

Monthly cell phone bills (pay as you go!)

Owning a home and all the maintenance that comes with it

Doing our own dishes (mostly)

Convincing patients they don't need antibiotics with a viral disease

Owning lots of stuff

Television

Trying to convince a doctor from another specialty to help you take care of your patient (since we all know each other, it's a very friendly process)

Evil Michigan squirrels...the Mara safari park is a nice trade off

Our garden (we have a larger one here!)

Good neighbors (while we had some great ones in Ypsi, the Faders and the Cropseys suffice!)