Top ten things I miss / will be happy to come home to

So I've been trying not to write this post, in part because it's kind of negative and partly because I knew writing it would make me more homesick. But in a week I'll be home, so I guess now is the time. So here are the top ten things I've missed while here in Africa:

1) Marmalade
2) Bacon
3) Martinis. They have gin here but no olives or vermouth.
4) Paved roads. The roads here are for the most part insanely bumpy and just keeping upright and in your seat is a full time job for a passenger.
5) Being able to easily talk with family and friends (sorry guys, you only make 5 cause I can still e-mail you and call if necessary.)
6) Not having to great everyone I see. Usually 3 times. Sometimes impersonal interactions are nice.
7) Being able to go out to dinner. (Here, we have to be home by dark or take a taxi home because white people aren't safe after dark on foot. It just makes eating out too much of a hastle)
8) Things getting done in a reasonable period of time. (African Time!) As an example, Thursday morning they admitted a guy to the medicine ward who had newly diagnosed HIV, kaposi's sarcoma with extensive lymph node involvement causing severe leg edema, and an oxygen saturation of 63 (Normal for my non-medical readers is >90. 63 will get you on a ventilator in America, or on 3 litres of O2 by nasal cannula in Africa) with a pleural rub. Our working diagnoses were pulmonary kaposis or TB. The chest x-ray we ordered? Not done yet Friday at noon. I have a bet with Eric that it still won't be done when he rounds with the medicine team Monday, based on my past experiences here. That's high quality medical care!
9) Washer and Dryers - don't get me wrong, we're spoiled in that our housekeeper does all our laundry, but my jeans just don't fit right.
10) This is a tie between Bacon and Whiskey. I really miss bacon a lot, possibly enough to be on the list twice, but I also miss manhattans.

You'll notice some notable exclusions from this list: My computer, reliable internet access, snow, the TV and radio / any media source, the 70 hour work week, (that's one thing that's nice about no one feeling personal responsibility for their job or patients - much shorter work week), driving. I miss being independent, but I haven't really missed driving while here - I haven't been behind the wheel since January 13th. Minnesotans would be wise to watch out for red geo prisms doing crazy stuff on the road starting March 14th. :) I suppose I'll happily adjust back when I get home, though I'm sure I will miss the more relaxed lifestyle / timeline here once I'm home.