Highs and Lows Double Feature

It’s Friday which means  it's time for highs and lows. I figured that this week I will do two sets; one for my first week back in Scotland and one for my trip back to the States.  Here’s the Aberdeen version:  

Lows:
1) Jet Lag which made me a cranky, non-functioning, nightmare.
2) Losing my sunglasses during a hike this week.
3) It’s 4:19 PM and pretty much dark outside…and it’s just gonna keep getting worse until December 21^st. Sigh...

Highs:
1) Participating in an 11 mile, 4 ½ hour hike to Clachnaben with the AWA, which gave me lots of catch up chatting time with my buddy Jill.

I’ll write more on this spectacular hike next week.

2) Learning to play Mahjong with my American girls. I’m seriously obsessed with the game and excited that it’s a weekly Friday morning tradition. Can’t wait to play again!


1st Mahjong (with Nary's amazing coaching)!

Second Mahjong! Beginners Luck? I guess we'll find out next week...

3) Catching up on snuggle time with my babies.  

I’m still recuperating from my trip to the states, but the past few days have given me some time to reflect on our trip. I’ve never felt as homesick as I have this week, but every day I ease back into life away from family. Away from Target. Away from convenient, high quality, affordable mani-pedis. Away from yogurt bars. And away from Drive Thru Starbuckses (Starbucksi?). So now that I’ve sufficiently thrown myself into a homesickness tailspin, let’s get started on my US highs and lows.

 

Lows: 1) In general, feeling exhausted and like I couldn’t just push through and spend more time with everyone. My family knows me so well that they have different code names for me: “Hungry monster”, “Tired Monster”, “That-time-of-the-month monster”, etc. It’s not pretty and I’m ashamed to say that they each got to witness all of my ugly sides during the 3 weeks I was home.  I really hate how cranky and irritable I can get, and regret some of the short and insensitive things I said while I was home. Sorry y’all! I’m working on it, I promise!

 

2. Not getting to spend more time with my brother. Don't get me started. I just might cry...

3. Gaining 10+ pounds while I was home.  Which brings me to high #1...

 

Highs:

1) The food. I got to eat several favorites while I was home, including a Drunken Fish Sushi Roll, Cafe du Monde Beignets and Room Service French Toast.

 

And then there was the milk and cookies. Oh the milk and cookies...

2) Spending LSU gameday with these two beauties was so good for my soul.

3) Seeing my parents on an almost daily basis for 3 straight weeks. That kind of quality time hasn’t happened since I was in high school, which explains the homesickness overload I experienced when I got home.

When I first got to Aberdeen, my parents were still living in Nigeria. I was already used to being far away from them, and only seeing them sporadically throughout the year. Now that they are living in Louisiana, it’s harder to be here, knowing that if we were in Covington, they could be a part of my daily life again. But I am oh so grateful for the sweet time I got with them during this trip.

 

4) The last week we spent in Florida was really special. I love Disney World and just getting that extra time with my sis, nephews, and parents was quite a treat.

Though it did make me swear to not bring my own kids to Disney World until they are at least 10. I have mad respect for my sister who takes her young boys to Disney pretty regularly since they live close by. 

After 5 days of theme parks with a cranky 3 year old in tow, I was about ready to have my tubes tied. Just kidding, of course. I love my little Lucas so much, but he sure is lucky he’s so dang cute. Keeps him out of trouble.

I mean, how can you get mad at a face like that? And, I'm crying...I miss them all so much already.

 

What about you? Highs and Lows this week?