Homesick

I know that the opportunity here in Russia is amazing. However, that doesnt stop the homesickness we feel sometimes. My family and I have lead a fairly nomadic life thus far and we are all pretty adaptable. But we miss things from the States... first and foremost our family. Not all our kids were able to come to Russia and we miss them incredibly. We miss our parents and all our extended family. It wasnt as bad when we had Skype but the computer with Skype crashed and we havent been able to get the Skype updated on Gary's work computer. Nothing seems easy here. Something as simple as getting the administration to update your computer takes months. There isnt any computer repair places in the villages around us. One must travel for hours to get these kinds of things done. Theres no Walmart to run to for everyday needs. There is basically one market. If what you are looking for isnt there, you do without. As Americans, we very seldom do without and this has been a huge change.

Other things we miss? I miss warm baths. We only have showers here and both Gary and I HATE showering. I also miss eating out. We take something like that for granted in the States and here, we are THRILLED to find a restraunt to dine at! I miss lawns. Even in the winter time in Idaho, we still see grass a good portion of the time. People here dont seem to have yards or lawns. The parks are littered with trash and most of the time you will find a village horse or milk cow staked in the park, grazing. Emma misses TV!! We all miss our pets. 

That said, we enjoy the opportunity to be here as a family. Sometimes I want to kick myself for saying that as somedays I feel like if I have one more second of family time, I may go insane. It takes time to get used to the kids NEVER leaving to go to school or not having a vehicle to go wherever I want, whenever I want. But Gary and I both know that we are truly meant to be here together. Not many couples could survive an experience like this. Its trying and difficult sometimes. But its an opportunity most people never want and one we may never get again.

So, we take it one day at a time. Never in our wildest imaginations did we think we would be living and working in Russia. So, we will see what the future holds and see where the winds will take us!!