My heart has begun to ache for various things related to my homeland, aka the U.S.A. Therefore, I have decided to compile a list for all of you readers, so that either: in the unlikely instance of you deciding to move to Europe someday, you will know what you are missing when you do so (though of course, you would be gaining much as well), or in case anyone feels like sending me a surprise care package and is wondering what to include…well, here are some ideas! Juuuuuuust kidding. I am just making this list for fun. So here goes:
1. Anything
and everything pumpkin related. I know
now is the time of year when you see pumpkin-flavored everything splashed all
over the place. I never thought I would
miss this so much. I want pumpkin donuts
from Dunkin Donuts, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cheesecake, oh
man, just talking about it is making my mouth water. Pumpkin to me is autumn. It makes me think of fall foliage, warm (but
cute!) winter coats and boots, snuggling up to a roaring fire with the one you
are smitten with, pumpkin is just the best.
It’s sort of like the gateway drug to winter ha-ha. Autumn just isn’t the same without it. And yes, of course they sell pumpkin
here. But what they do not sell is the
plethora of all things now flavored with pumpkin. Over here, that would be more of a
do-it-yourself venture. So as soon as I
get my apartment that is a top priority item.
Finding a delicious pumpkin recipe that I can assemble the ingredients
for to make something autumn-worthy to enjoy.
2. Breakfast. An expansive plate piled high with all the
American breakfast fixings including but not limited to: eggs, toast with
strawberry jam, home fries doused in ketchup, bacon cooked to just the right crispness,
maybe an omelet stuffed with spinach, tomato, mushroom and cheddar cheese
instead of plain eggs, pancakes (ideally with blueberries, chocolate chips, or
pumpkin flavored). There is NO WHERE to
get a breakfast like this over here, no way.
And I am finding myself suddenly fantasizing about it.
3. This
leads me to my next item, Cheddar Cheese!!!
They certainly have it over here, but it is mild and flavorless, like
eating a brightly colored piece of rubber.
I miss Cabot extra sharp (or seriously sharp for when I am feeling extra
desperate for flavor) cheddar cheese. SO
delicious. Again, I am finding myself
conjuring the taste in my mouth and wishing for a block of it desperately.
4. Burgers,
my god, my friend from Europe was right when he said no burger here compares to
the burgers in the US. Granted I have
not sampled all the burgers in Europe yet.
Give me a few more weeks for that, wink, wink. But as of now, it is sad but true. The burgers here are at tops, sub-par when compared
with the ones you can eat back in the US of A.
Especially the burgers from Boston Burger Company in Davis Square
(Somerville, MA). Hands down some of the best burgers I have ever had in my
life, mouthwatering, loaded with kooky toppings one would never think of
pairing together well, yet shockingly, they do.
Prime example: The Hot Mess (winner of Best of Boston Burger award in
2013). This burger is topped with: sweet
potato fries, American cheese, chopped pickles, jalapenos, bacon, red onion,
shredded lettuce and Thousand Island dressing.
It sounds chaotic and slightly confused, right?
No, this burger is the holy grail of burgers. It is SUPERB.
5. Cake
in general, though specifically cheesecake and a rich, dense, moist, ganache
filled super chocolaty cake. I have
searched this city high and low the past month and have found neither of
these. Heartbreaking for me, as you all
know how deeply my heart is devoted to all things sweet. I have not given up just yet though; I am
determined to find both of these types of cake within this huge city…
6. Americanized
appetizers like spinach and artichoke dip or southwestern eggrolls, two of my
absolute favorites. Finding these in
Prague would be like finding a winning lottery ticket wedged in the crevice of
pavement right outside your apartment on the way to work one morning. Meaning, it aint gonna happen! And what a huge shame that is, because those appetizers
make me swoon.
7. Staying
with the food topic a moment longer, Food Network Magazine!!! I looked forward with such anticipation to
getting this in the mail every month, getting to drool over the colorful food
photos, circle the recipes I wanted to try, and clipping out the ones I really
liked to save. This was an afternoon
activity in itself. I miss this. It is so sad not having this to look forward to. This magazine does not even exist in Prague,
and if it did, it would be in Czech!
8. Boston,
I miss the city. Walking along the
gas-lit streetlamp lined streets of Beacon Hill, strolling through the Commons
or Gardens, seeing the city blanketed in snow during the winter, or lying on
the grass in the Commons reading during the summer. Riding the T, all things pumpkin flavored, Harvard
Square, going out to eat in the city, Davis Square, Newbury Street, Back Bay, the
Danish Pastry Shop, I miss SO much of Boston!!
 |
| My little sister and I in Boston!! |
9. My
bed. This is simply because of the fact
that the beds we have been provided with in our flats during the course
duration suck. They are hard as rocks
and the pillows are nonexistent. The
beds are also small twins. My old bed
was a Queen with a fluffy comforter, lots of pillows and memory foam topped mattress. Talk about taking a long fall from the top in
terms of my sleeping arrangement. That
has been a major bummer ha-ha.
10. The
gym! Since I am not willing to shell out
any money, at least not right now, for a gym membership, I miss that so
much. I loved lifting weights, going on
the elliptical machine for 45 minutes or running a bit. I always felt like I got a really good
workout and was able to stay in shape with ease that way. I can no longer even remember the last time I
got a REALLY GOOD workout. I jump rope
sometimes for 20 minutes or so in the mornings, but that is not even
comparable. I miss the feeling after an
awesome exercise session.
11. Netflix…one
cannot use that over here as it recognizes the URL is from overseas and not the
US, so it does not allow you to use Netflix in that case, so lame. Woe is me; I miss The Wire, Breaking Bad,
Friday Night Lights and being able to watch movies on instant queue.
12. And
finally…my friends. I still miss them
desperately. Maybe now even more so. I think of you guys ALL the time.
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