"Thinking of Home"

The other day Nick and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Me: Are you starting to miss home at all?

Nick: *Silence*

Me: You know, like going to the pumpkin patch with the family and getting pumpkins?

Or Halloween? Picking out costumes for us and the kids?

Nick: *Silence*

Me: Or maybe the fall weather? Dressing in sweaters, the changing of the leaves, the warm smells and food - like some delicious homemade soup.

Nick: Oh ya, soup sounds good. I could go for some soup right now.

I, for one, am feeling a bit nostalgic and find myself longing for the warmth and comfort of "Home."

 Don't get me wrong - I love the opportunity to live in Spain. 

It has been such a wonderful learning experience for all of us, and I am grateful everyday that we get to be here - 

but my yearning for familiarity and for family was inevitable.

Yesterday we went to Sant Cugat to get tapas (appetizers) with some of Nick's colleagues.

On our walk home we came across a quaint little plant store.

We stopped to take a look since I had metnioned to Nick beforehand that it would be nice to get a plant for our apartment.

We found one we liked, and told the nice lady we would like to purchase it.

We were about to buy said plant when another one caught my eye and I chose to get it instead.

The lady wrote the name of the plant down for me so I could look it up when we got home.

I googled the name of the plant (Azalea) when we got home so I could know how to care for it and read that in China the plant is also known as the "Thinking of Home" bush.
Ironic?

   

Obviously a plant won't replace all the things I miss about "home,"

but I hope it will remind me of our purpose here in Spain.

I hope when I will look at it, I will remember that some things are just meant to be.