Urge for Going

I'm publishing a list of some things I really miss about America so that when I'm sitting in Vacaville in eight months, Italy-less, I can refer back to it and appreciate the variety and functionality of my homeland, and the simplicity of my wants.  I tried to limit the entries that refer to food, but I can't change who I am.  Next I'll make a converse list of the things I better hurry up and appreciate about Italy.

1. Savory breakfast.  How Italians survive the first four hours of the day on nothing but a chocolate cookie will continue to bewilder both myself and nutritionists. 
2. The Banana Republic Factory Outlet.  This country does not understand how sales should work, which is constantly and abundantly.
3. Hummus.  I eat a ton of chic peas here, but mashing them up hasn't caught on yet.
4. Not living a double life.  I have Italian and American bank accounts, Italian and American wardrobes, Italian and American book collections.  Everything...UNITE!
5. My dog.  She's really not good at returning my calls.
6. Thanksgiving.  A brilliant holiday dedicated to food, family, and reflection on life's blessings.  And food.
7. Personal bubbles.  Please, signore, get out of my face.  And signora, if you bump me one more time with your shopping bag I will make a point to pay with nothing but pennies.
8. Baseball.  Get me some peanuts and a beer and I'm happy.  I mean, go Giants!
9. Law & order.  Red does not mean yield, and one-way means just that.  I don't know if it's our puritanical roots or our lack of mafia roots, but we Americans are law-abiding citizens to the core and I like it.
10. Weekend movie marathons.  I often say on lazy weekends at the villa, "I wish I could turn on the TV and stumble upon the last half of Die Hard with my dad."  Last week I almost downloaded it just to watch the last half on principle, but it felt too forced.
11. Dollars.  Not actual dollars, because euro are more colorful and sensible and I love two-euro coins, but how can the Eurozone be on the brink of financial collapse, and yet I'm still paying 1.4?
12. High-speed internet.  I think I've wasted a good month of my life waiting for the world wide web to load. 
13. Opportunity.  There are few job options here, let alone lucrative ones.  It's hard not to notice the sentiment of hopelessness and desperation at the economic and political situation.  La vita is not quite as bella as everyone thinks.  I'm blessed to have an American contract.
14. International food.  What shall we have for dinner?  Japanese?  Mexican?  Thai?  Most Italians would run screaming to hide under a box of Barilla rigatoni.
15. Good over-the-counter drugs.  I brought a one year's supply of NyQuil with me to Italy because otherwise I'd basically have to suffer through it.
16. Old friends.  Make new friends and keep the old, I know I know.  But I think we know which ones are gold.
17. Customer service.  Literally a foreign concept.  But at least the waiters here don't ask you five times mid-chew if everything's alright.
18. Understanding everything.  No matter how much my Italian improves, I will never completely get it.  I miss always knowing what's going on and naturally understanding how things work.
19. A proper government.  However dysfunctional and controversial, at least in America we don't have to worry about the government periodically dissolving and starting from chaotic scratch.
20. Driving.  I take door to door transport for granted.  It's the only time wearing heels is actually worth it, I can sing at the top of my lungs, and I don't risk sitting by the foul-smelling town drunk on the bus.
21. Hosting people.  I just want to cook you dinner.  I really do.