Eleven Days

In light of the fact that I'm only 11 days away from flying back to my beautiful home country, I've decided to compose a list of the things that I miss the most from home. After 7 months of dealing with the insanity that is life in the Middle East, there is nothing that I'm looking forward to more than 2 weeks of familiarity.

1. Tim Horton's - If you are Canadian or have visited Canada, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Affectionately known as "Timmy's", this place is practically a cult amongst Canadians. Serving coffee and donuts among other menu items, it's highly addictive. When it comes to good coffee, I personally prefer Starbucks, but the patriotic Canadian in me stays loyal to my beloved coffee shop. It's my first stop after retrieving my suitcase from the baggage carousel and kissing my boyfriend. Hello turkey bacon club sandwich, and medium iced cappuccino... made with chocolate milk, of course.
2. Titan - This tiny bundle of fur is one of the most important boys in my life... second only to Ryan. He's the family pet, a 2 1/2 year old bichon shitzu that I love more than I ever thought I could love a dog. He is the cuddliest puppy in existence and still has a baby face despite being fully grown. I'm working on getting Ryan to bring him to the airport so that I don't have to wait the 2 hours that it takes to drive from Calgary to Red Deer.
3. Fresh air - I'm from Alberta, Canada. Endless wheat fields, towering mountains, and clean, fresh oxygen... compliments of the millions of trees that grow naturally.
4. Camping - There are few things that I love more than spending the weekend in the mountains with my boyfriend. I've spent 22 of my 24 years living only a few hours drive, and they still never cease to amaze me. The whole area is breathtakingly beautiful, and that's not just my biased opinion. Go see for yourself. The weekend that I arrive I'm heading out with Ryan and his family... nobody knows how to camp like they do. Last year I fell in love with the pizzas that they cook.... over the fire! I'm drooling already.
5. Ryan - This one is just a given. Long distance relationships are extremely difficult and I can't wait to be with him in a country where we can feel free to hold hands in public and even sneak in a kiss from time to time.
6. My family - I miss my mommy and my dorky little brothers. I miss my grandmas and cousins and aunts and everyone else that makes up my crazy family.
7. My friends - I've met some great people here in Dubai, but nobody knows me quite like my friends from home. We'll be silly, share stories, laugh for no reason, and confess our love for each other with a great reunion.
8. Laundry - Okay, this one is a bit random.... but I'm really looking forward to washing my clothes at home. Everything on my washing machine here is written in Italian and I have to hang my clothes to dry. Not only does it take forever and require a great deal of planning outfits in advance, but they never feel quite as comfy as they do after being tossed on tumble dry with a yummy smelling dryer sheet. Oh, simple pleasures in life.
9. Tap water - You can't imagine how frustrating it is to wake up dying of thirst only to find that you've drank your last drop of bottled water. There are mixed opinions on whether the water that comes from the kitchen taps here is safe to drink. Some say that it's not properly sanitized, while others say it's perfectly safe if you don't mind the salty taste. I stick with bottled water.
10. Freedom of speech, women's rights, and non-restricted internet browsing - I could go on, but you get the idea.
11. Summer - Sure, Dubai has summer. Only instead of warm days and breezy nights, it's like you are in a sauna with no door to exit for relief. Actually, make that a steam room. It's getting more humid each day. I can't even walk the 3 minutes to the supermarket below my building without overheating. I love warm weather, but here in the sand pit temperatures in the height of summer can top 50°C.

I could spend hours compiling this list, but I think it goes without saying that I miss home and I'm really looking forward to being back.