happy fourth

So you know the phrase that talks about not saying anything unless you have something nice to say? Well, that's what I'm trying really hard to live by these days. There are several impacting factors, but I'm having a really hard time in Hong Kong. And today, on the day that I would normally be sitting at the park, watching a parade, eating a hot dog, watching the fireworks, instead I'm trying really hard to pretend I don't miss doing all those things. To pretend that I'm okay with being wet all day; to pretend that it's okay that I haven't done my hair in a week because when I try it just looks as though I never dried it; to pretend that I don't crave thick, soft bread; to pretend that I'm okay with kick boxing for an hour instead of my treasured run; and to pretend that doing laundry in the sink is totally my idea of fun.

I don't want to be spoiled, and in the midst of all this I know what a blessing it is to be here, to experience just another corner of this beautiful world. And I want to experience it all, but for whatever reason, Hong Kong is a challenge for me. Fundamentally, it may be because I don't have anything solid, that's mine, like I found in Tokyo. But additionally, it's probably because I just miss the familiar. Japan had just enough of the familiar, and the rest was easy to cope with. And mostly I think I just want to go home.

So today, I'm thinking of all of you and the beautiful country I miss so much. I guess one of the best parts of this summer is that I'm realizing how blessed I really am, and that includes my citizenship, a blessing I think I've always taken for granted. So on this Fourth - enjoy it, appreciate it, and memorize those fireworks for me.

Happy Independence Day.