Even for a warrior queen like me, homesickness happens. But not in the way I thought it would. Some of the things I miss are things I never even realized I loved.

Soil,
Especially the smell of soil after it rains.
Good tasting water.
The ocean.
Purring cats sitting on my lap while I’m trying to do homework.
Fat free milk.
The box of fruits and vegetables delivered to the front door by a handsome farmer boy every Thursday.
Cats.
Evergreen trees.
Snails using the front porch as a highway.
Driving on I-5.
The couch where I sat and stared out the front window into the street.
That really ugly Valentine’s Day mug I always used.

Today I was missing things, but my sadness quickly dispersed because it was such a sunny day, and as I was walking from the metro stop to school I saw a dog on a motorcycle. He was sitting in front of the driver, his front paws on the handle bars so it looked like the dog was the one driving. Ears flapping in the wind, his tongue hung out and his doggy lips were in the shape of a toothy smile. I was jealous. They were going rather fast, too, and passed before I could take a second glance. I laughed out loud and then looked around to see if anyone else had seen it. I wanted to say, “Did anybody just see that? That dog was driving a motorcycle!!” but I couldn’t think of how to say that in French and a man was already staring at me oddly for laughing out loud. So I continued to walk, but I knew my life had been changed.

Then I saw the sunset and it was beautiful.

XOLily