'Muricah!

I didn't cry when I said goodbye to my host parents one last time at the airport, but it was definitely one of the most bittersweet moments of my life. I couldn't wait to come home to Virginia but I also didn't want to leave the charmed life I was living in Denmark.

The flight back was mostly uneventful. I had a stopover in Iceland and then then a 6 hour flight to DC where I sat next to this middle aged lady who was super sweet but kinda weird. She had been working/vacationing in Europe for the past two months and we talked about her kids (also in college) and she even bought me some food because she felt bad for ordering food and eating next to me without me having anything. Also, while it was probably just her being endearing, she kept calling me "baby" which made me slightly uncomfortable since she was also a big "toucher" when talking. I just tried to smile along the entire time. I ended up catching up on a bunch of movies during the flight too - Prometheus (meh, not very memorable), The Dark Knight (So awesome), and Independence Day (A bit long, but pretty good). Passport check was a huge pain in the ass and took about an hour to get through but after I got my luggage, my mom was there waiting at the arrivals area which made me really happy.

The past few days have been me basically reintegrating back into American society. I've been eating at all my favorite restaurants, falling asleep on the couch, putting up Christmas lights, and of course driving. Some other things I've missed about America:

1. Everything is SO cheap - People complain about how everything is getting more and more expensive, but four months in Denmark and Europe has shown me we have a VERY low price point compared to the rest of the world. Paying $2 for a cup of regular coffee is never going to be something I will complain about again.

2. People walk faster - I'm a city guy in this respect. I cannot stand when people walk slowly and I often got really frustrated when everyone was walking so slowly in Europe, even in downtown.

3. Forced-air heating - Sounds silly, but radiator-based heating sucks ass. It's inefficient at actually heating up a room and I don't see how it is any cheaper, especially the natural gas heating I have in my house.

4. Big portions - fun fact, I actually lost a few pounds abroad. I attribute this to the amount of walking/commuting I did but also the fact that I felt awkward going in for my regular 3rd and 4th servings at dinner. I was sated at dinner, but I like feeling full. Late night snacking helped somewhat, but yeah, returning to the land of two pound Chipotle burrito bowls makes me very happy.

5. I'm one of the best dressed again - One way my gay shows is how I dress. I don't wear tight clothes or anything, but I dress well. Even my jeans and zip hoodie days leave me looking better and more put together than the majority of how people dress (it's all about the fit dudes). In Denmark, people really cared about how they looked which was nice, but I wasn't a stand out anymore as cocky and haughty as that sounds.

6. Family/Friends/Dog - So happy to see them, like, elated-I'm-walking-on-air happy.

7. Brandon - Let's just say he was as excited to see me as I was to see him last night - meaning a lot. We chilled at his place for a while, chatted with one of his roommates, and just cuddled on the couch again. I spent the night at his place and it was that magical night in August all over again. I really like the guy, and I hope, really, really hope this will become something more.

I'll probably start my summer internship search in the next few days and also start prepping for move-in for my apartment back on campus which won't be until January but whatever. For now though, I'm just enjoying life and everything home has to offer.

Take it easy guys,

JP