It's been 6 months since we...

Wow - time is just flying by.  April 15th marks 6 months of living in Asia.  It's hard to believe sometimes!  I thought it would be a good time to reflect on our life here... and how different things can be.  So, without further ado...

It's been 6 months since we:

1.  Drove a car.  It is hard to imagine life in the US without a car.  Brian and I both drove our cars nearly every single day, however, here in Hong Kong, we do not have a car, nor do we need one.  We walk/take public transportation to work, and, on the weekend, we normally just walk to the grocery store.  Maybe this counterbalances all of the CO2 emissions from my constant airplane travel?

2. Had a majority of our meals at home.  In the US, most of the time we cooked at home.  We both were home around 6 or 6:30, we made dinner, and sat down together to eat.  Here, our schedules are a bit crazier... I normally don't get home until 7:30 or 8, and by that point I'm not super excited about dinner.  Brian luckily gets done much earlier than me, so when I do get home on the earlier side, he is a saint and has dinner on the table (hello - luckiest wife in the world!), but often times we just eat out to make things easier and less stressful.  Plus, we don't have a dishwasher, so the clean-up part of cooking is not super fun (hello - lazy expat woman!).  Hey - just being honest!

3. Run more than 5 miles.  This one, I'm not so proud of... In Portland, I had my wonderful running group, and we met religiously every Saturday morning for nearly 9 years (wow - typing that makes me tear up just missing all of you!).  It was an accountability, plus just such a nice way to pass the miles. We all know each other so well, and have been through so many of life's major changes together.  I am mad at myself for letting this habit go, however, in Hong Kong I am missing 1) my motivation to get out of bed on a Saturday and 2) just stepping out the door to such a great variety of places to run.  My workouts are pretty much limited to the gym here, but, I guess that is better than nothing.

4. Have done any yardwork.  It's a concrete jungle here in Hong Kong, and we live in a high-rise building with 48 floors.  What a difference from our Multnomah Village house with a nice backyard.  I can't say I miss yardwork!  :)

5.  Drank tap water.  Just. Don't. Do. It.

6.  Have been in the same country for more than 2 weeks at a time.  Seriously.  My job requires a lot of travel, which always provides a lot of great learning opportunities, however, I'm on the road.  A lot.

7. Had a microbrew.  The best beer we drink here is Asahi... can't wait for that first great beer in Portland this July!

8.  Have been able to find shoes (Kristen) or shirts (Brian) that fit.  My feet are simply larger than the largest size that most shoe stores carry here, and Brian's arms are too long.  So, when we arrive to Portland, just know that I might be barefoot and Brian may be shirtless until we can make it to a mall.  ;)

9.  Worn shoes with swooshes on them.  Pretty crazy for a girl who used to have over 50 pairs of Nikes.  It's been a transition for me, but I am truly happy with the move, and the job was an amazing opportunity for me.

10. Woken up to the sound of birds chirping and wind whistling through the trees.  Here, we get honking taxis and the buzz of the city.

In all seriousness, we are really happy here.  We are making friends and finding our way, although I wouldn't say it's been a fast transition.  This crazy city can be overwhelming at times, but I've taken a colleague's advice and try to find my "moment of zen" when I can.  With that said, we can't wait to spend three weeks back in the US this July.  Miss all of our family and friends back at home!  :)