Friday night at almost midnight

I have been thinking and thinking about writing here for the last few days, or nights whatever.  Usually, when I am trying to get to sleep I start to think about what I have to say.   How is it that I am so clever and profound when I am not at the keyboard.  And when I sit here I struggle?   I guess that's normal.

I spend [way too much] time on Facebook, and see mentions and pictures of places we have lived.  I get wistful.  There was a picture of snow falling in a street light in Tromso, Norway the other day.   I commented on how I remembered not being able to see the house across the street when it snowed hard when we were living there.

There was a short video of Thailand I saw and I thought back to how much time we spent there.  First, two years in Bangkok, where Courtney was born.  Then, three years later, in Chiang Mai.

And of course there's Perth, Western Australia.   I see pictures of WA (Western Australia) and I feel a little bit homesick.

I never really thought much about having a "bucket list", but I guess I really do have one.  I want to go back to every place we have lived overseas.   The place we lived in Bangkok had been knocked down, but I still have friends in the city who I would love to see and possibly stay with.  I am pretty sure our old house in Chiang Mai is still there.  So many of my "old" friends are too.

And on and on.  There are more places that we lived too.  I'd like to visit them as well.   But the places I mentioned just now have a special place in my heart.

Thailand because my first child was born there.  And when went back three years later, I lead my first La Leche League group there and made some friends for life.

Norway is special because my roots are there.  I feel that my soul is in the air and the soil of Norway.   My grandfather and those before him are buried there.  And of course, my third child was born there.

Perth, well, when we went there, all of the kids were in school and I got to be a "grown up" diplomat's wife for the first time.  I got to dress up and wear high heals and feel beautiful.  I got to undress and go to the nude beach and feel wonderful.   we had some rough times there as a couple, Nick and I.  But the place was so beautiful.  The people so real.   I was connected with the breastfeeding community as a lactation consultant and as a LLL Leader.  I got to play many roles and loved it.

I didn't mention Hong Kong and China,  I have friends (again through LLL) in Hong Kong.  They were there when I visited before my last baby was born.  And they were there for me when my last baby was born unexpectedly 8 weeks premature in Hong Kong.  Some of them who still live there have done wonderful things to promote and change the breastfeeding culture for the better.

And now, I need to get to bed.   I have loads more to write, but it will have to wait.