missing, missing, missing.

i've been missing a lot of things lately.

people, places, memories.

now don't get me wrong.
i'm not missing things because i'm unhappy.

quite the opposite actually.

lately i've been thinking mostly about how freaking blessed i am to have lived the life i've lived so far.
i've literally met some of the most beautiful, talented, loving, adventurous souls in the world.
i've walked along the most gorgeous beaches and hiked up some breathtaking mountains.
i've gotten lost and played in the dirt and eaten things i wish to never remember.

anyways, in appreciation of just how wonderful my life has been thus far, i thought i would just share some things i miss...

i miss lying in a hammock and watching it pour down rain.

i miss hearing children shout in a foreign language and run towards me and then spring into my arms.

i miss walking into a room at any moment and seeing all of my closest friends.

i miss taking long walks with friends through dirt roads in africa and talking about hearts and God and life.

i miss living in a room with ten other crazy, wonderful women and feeling like i've known them for years.

i miss late night braais and swimming adventures.

i miss bus excursions and never knowing where you'll end up.

i miss coffee on the beach with deep friend talks.

i miss walking to the mall barefoot, just because you can.

i miss beanbags in the middle of basketball courts and discussing why God made men.

i miss waking up every morning to a deflated air mattress.

i miss biking to church in a dress.

i miss finding ants in my coffee.

i miss hearing the dinner bell and never knowing what to expect, like cow tongue or pap and spinach.

i miss being in one room with people from twelve different countries.

i miss having movie nights and carrying ten million mattresses into the glory hall.

i miss buying milky ways and coca cola all the time to remind myself of home.

i miss eating oreos and watching so you think you can dance.

i miss boiling water and it STILL tasting like gasoline.

i miss sharing the smallest bed in the world and a mosquito net with one of my best friends.

i miss day-long trips to the coast just to eat clam chowder.

i miss taking two-second showers because the water was so freezing cold.

i miss singing really silly children's songs with hand motions.

i miss sneaking out and climbing water towers at two in the morning.

i miss playing phase ten on the beach by the moonlight.

i miss big a$$ smoothies from los amigos.

i miss biking to my outreach leaders house for spur of the moment tacos and laughter.

i miss never knowing what was going to happen in a day.

i miss having silly girls knocking on our door at all hours and feeding them from our mango tree.

i miss spanish lessons and impromptu beach explorations.

i miss saying "don't you do that" and laughing every ten seconds.

i miss spending the night on a trampoline and drinking an entire two litre of mountain dew.

i miss standing up on a bus for six hours.

i miss getting lost in the costa rican rainforest and ending up in an amish families retreat home.

i miss living out of a suitcase.

i miss so many things.
i can't even count all the beautiful memories i have of people and places i've been.
or memories from growing up.
it's really overwhelming.

i have such a beautiful life.
and everyone that's been in it,
and everyone that's in it currently,
and everyone that will be there in the future...
i just couldn't be more thankful for.

the only reason my life has been so beautiful is because i have had such beautiful people to share it with.



i'm such a cheeseball.