Since my last two posts included my favorite things about Hawaii, this post lays out the top five things I miss. Here they are:
5) The peace of mind that comes from knowing there are no centipedes in your bed... or your shoes, etc. I have only had one experience on the pointy end of Hawaii's giant centipedes. It snuggled up to me while I was asleep and apparently took offense when I rolled over on it. I woke up thinking I had been slashed with a razor blade. Now I check the bed every night before I go to sleep to make sure no little monsters are hiding under my pillow.
4) The first snowfall of the year. Especially if it comes around Christmas time. I don't miss those late season blizzards that seemed to hit every May when we lived in the Rocky Mountains. But the first snowball fight/snowman/sledding outing of the year is something I will always miss.
3) Privacy. Houses are open in Hawaii. No one really uses air conditioning, so all windows are open all year around. Space is also at a premium, so houses tend to be pretty close together. Once, Michelle sneezed while she was in our bedroom. The neighbor said, "bless you!" I'll leave it at that.
2) Cheap food. When we left for Hawaii, a gallon of milk was less than $2 at our local grocery store. Nothing costs $2 here. A gallon of milk is $5 if you get it on sale. A box of my favorite breakfast cereal costs a kidney.
1) Road trips. We are road trip people. By the time my oldest child was 10 she had been in about 35 states. We go camping in national parks. We hunt down and feast on local specialties. We devour books on tape voraciously. And it is comforting to know that you can drive to visit family (even if it may take a couple of days to get there). I miss spending hours and hours driving (in the same direction). You can't do that on a small island.
