Little Things

I'm excited to be going to Russia for so many reasons. Here are some of the tiny, random ones that don't particularly matter:

1) Not having to make the request of "No ice, please" whenever I order a drink at a restaurant. Ice just gets in the way and I think is an excuse for establishments to not give you all the beverage that you're paying for. Plus, I really don't like my drinks being super cold- it just makes them harder to swallow. The only thing I want to drink "icy-cold" is a milkshake.

2.) No Walmart. I hate Walmart a little bit, if for no other reason than because I feel like I spend a ton of time there and become dependent on it in some way- the fact that it has pretty much everything for a reasonable price means it's usually the first place to run to when I need to make a purchase. Oh, I also hate the fact that it is always super busy and I don't like being caught in hordes of people (yes, I know I'm moving to the most populous city in Europe). Walmart definitely isn't the worst place in the world, but it will be nice to not set foot in one for over four months. I think a Walmart fast might be beneficial for the soul, haha.

3.) Not having to drive... Here's the thing, I really don't mind driving. I actually enjoy it quite a bit as long as I'm not super tired, in an unfamiliar city, or caught in heavy traffic. A nice drive with some good tunes can be very therapeutic. I also am very grateful for the fact that I had a car at school; it was a huge blessing in so many ways and allowed for many adventures to be had.

Driving can really stress me out, though, especially in bad traffic. I am a really laid back person and am usually good about staying calm in stressful situations... unless that situation involves me being behind the wheel of a car and having passengers. It just does something to me. No non-sports related activity naturally raises my blood pressure and freaks me out the way having to navigate through an unfamiliar city with narrow streets in bad traffic does. Add some heavy rain to the mix and you might actually see my heart explode out of my chest. This is what I get for learning how to drive in cow town where a single lane could probably fit two pick-ups driving side by side.