Things I Miss

Traveling is one of our favorite things to do. And being a traveler, rather than a tourist, is a goal for us. To look local, to shop local, and to converse local (as much as possible - although most people are so forgiving if you put forth a little effort...it's appreciated). 

Having been on a few long trips - this one being our longest ever - I've come to miss some truly American things. So, without further ado, some things I miss:

Big bathrooms - European bathrooms tend to be on the small side (and for some reason always cold). The showers are small, the counter space is small, the towels are small...you get the idea.

My hair dryer - American hair dryers won't work over here. Oh, they'll work for about 2 minutes and then fry themselves to death because the voltage is different. I could buy one here, but that's just something else I have to fit in my suitcase. Ergo - my hair has looked like shit for a month.

American Football - As a fan, it's hard to miss the PLAYOFFS! If we lived here, we'd have the satellite set up or a VPN or a local subscription streaming service, but for the few games we'd get to see (at 9p and 12:30a) it's not worth the cost. We'll be home for the Super Bowl.

My bidet - Ironically, Europe is full of bidets...but not one of our hotel or VRBO accommodations has had one. And toilet paper here is not exactly Charmin.

Tex-Mex - You know how I love my Tex-Mex, and I could make it here, but the ingredients are not as right-off-the-shelf as they are at home. I would be shocked if I saw a can of shoepeg corn in the veggie aisle. And jalapenos are v-e-r-y different here.

Big coffee mugs - Europe is all about espresso and small shots of coffee. You can buy big mugs in the tourist shops, but VRBOs and hotels are supplied with demi-tasse and small cups that could hold maybe a literal cup of coffee. Really not big enough - certainly not big enough for Joe. (He never has four cups of coffee at home.)

My big washer and dryer - of course.

Tipping - Tips here should run between 5 and 10%; at home we tip 20%. It's a hard habit to break.

My adjustable bed and memory foam pillow - Duh. All of our beds this trip have been comfortable, but none as snuggly as our Tempurpedic. All of our pillows have been mushy, tiny little half-filled feather turds that I have mangled beyond recognition.

So, yeah, traveling is great, but there are some things that I'd tweak if I could. Today (Monday) we're heading back to the Mercado Victoria for lunch and then to the grocery store. We need some toilet paper. Tomorrow starts a busy week: Tuesday we're on the hunt for craft beer with three places on our radar, Wednesday we're going to Malaga and to the Picasso Museum there, Thursday is the Medinat Al Zahr and the Almodovar castle, Friday, dinner with friends, and Saturday a trip to the Arabian baths for a message, sauna, and hot pools.