I miss my friends and family (by Helen)

Being a foreigner in a foreign land is very hard to explain. Time passes in that strange way where I feel like I just got here yesterday, yet I feel I have been here for a very long time. I think about people who, deep down inside of me, are a part of me, yet, who, ordinarily I don´t think about in that way at home. My beautiful sister-in-law Janie, who I wish I knew better, but love very much anyway. (Thank you for being my emotional contact with my brother.) My long time friend Lea who is part of me; my friend Julie, who doesn´t keep in contact enough; Charlie, who for some reason I just love very much; little Emily; Suzie, who thru all these years has remained a part of my life, and her beautiful husband Chuck, who I know I can always count on; my frederick friends who are always up for a fire module (Richard and Caroline), and so many more.

I am not including my nuclear family because whether here or at home, they remain the same to me. But friends that feel very far away keep quietly passing thru my mind.

On a lighter note. For the women out there 50 and older, you will know what I am talking about. I am actually trying to learn a different language while I am experiencing that time in my life where I can barely manage to speak my own language. Today I just stared at the lap-top trying remember what it was called. I truly, actually, could not recall the work ´lap-top´. Brain farts are just a normal part of my day. And, per my usual timing in life, I have chose NOW to learn my first new language!

My accomplishment of the day: I told the cashier at the grocery store that I did not want delivery, that I would take the groceries with me. And after only a short pause on her part - she understood me !!!!!