Good to be back...

Though I've been back for about a month now, there are still things that pop up for the first time in a long time and make me glad to be back. Going to see my family in Shreveport, LA was like a giant instance of that. It was so wonderful to see Warren, Abbey, Baxter (4), Boyd (2) and baby number 3 (due in August!) after so long. If only Shreveport wasn't 7 hours away...

Jeffrey, Baxter, and Boyd enjoy an obviously riveting book. 

The farmer's market in downtown Shreveport: how I love the south. Blueberries, Okra, and tomatoes in all their glory!

Another thing that's great is being able to actually call friends on the phone and have a maximum time difference of 1 hour. That still hasn't gotten old.

Then there's the restaurant experience. If you read my older blog, you probably remember my humorous musing about how you have to stalk waitstaff with your eyes in order to get anything at any point during your meal. Including the check. I still find myself doing this here when any of my party needs anything. (Which is only slightly inappropriate. Oops.) On the whole, though, it's fantastic to know that the staff will come back to check on you at some point without your asking! What a deal!

Also there is the sweet tea thing. YUM.

Lastly, there is the friendliness factor. People talk to you voluntarily in your very own language! Wow! Anyhow, that's a good enough random post for now. Maybe later this week I'll post about the things I miss about Spain, because those certainly exist too. Thanks for reading! RUF update to come soon.