Chasing the sun...thoughts on travelling home

Well, I have made it home to TX, safe and sound, after a 100 mph cab ride across Ukraine, a jostling car tour through Kiev, two flights on Air France (the best airline food ever!), and a long night sleeping less than soundly in CDG airport in Paris on a huge couch with a bunch of other vagabonds. I've never spent any time in this house without the girls, but even with two completely neurotic cats here that won't let me out of there sight, it doesn't feel like home--three-fourths of my family is 6000 miles away!

Anyway, let me echo Rachel's humorous observations from Tuesday and make a few of my own titled, "Things I didn't miss while I was gone..."

1. Houston's weather...I guess I forgot how humid it was here, ugh!
2. American food...aside from the few moments we weren't sure what we were eating, the food in Ukraine is outstanding and inexpensive. Fast food? Didn't miss it.
   
3. Coffee...the guidebooks are wrong, good coffee is not hard to find in Ukraine. Good espresso costs about $0.40, can be found everywhere, and (get this) comes in a real cup...you actually must slow down and enjoy your coffee. None of that nonsensical four dollar StarBUCK$ in a paper cup!
4. Toilet paper...guidebooks were wrong here, the toilet paper in Ukraine is fine...if you can find it
5. American drivers...sure they're better than most drivers elsewhere in the world, except Germany (no, really, we do drive pretty well here compared to other nations), where else can driving 100 mph on the highway, passing people on the sidewalk, and driving the wrong way down a one-way street be considered 'good driving'? How exciting! The taxis should charge more and call it a 'thrill ride.'
6. Cable TV...who cares if I can't understand what's on? It mostly sounds like Charlie Brown's teacher here at home anyway!

As I was sitting in the airport this morning (Paris), I did think of one thing I missed about the States. You're going to think me a total redneck to saying this, but...uhm...I missed country music. Yep, it's official, I can write this and own it, right? I missed country music. Every nation I've ever visited recognizes good classical music, no problem. Every nation listens to U2, Avril Lavigne, and Maroon 5, for better or worse depending on your taste. Every nation has their own pop/club music, which really sounds all alike whether or not you understand the words. But nobody else, and I mean nobody, has country music.

One example will suffice, and then I must tend to these crazy cats...As soon as I got home I ran to Wal-Mart to get an international calling card (which has atrociously high rates, BTW, got a much better rate from the phone company). I started the car and dialed up the country station I listen to most just in time to hear, "She thinks my tractor's sexy, it really turns her on..." Ahhhh, home, sweet, home.