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My time in New Zealand is drawing to a close; it's alternately bitter and sweet, depending on whether I look at what I'm leaving or where I'm going. I try to look at both, and keep it bittersweet. Either way, today was my last Saturday, and my last farmer's market; Monday will be my last Monday, and my last exams. It's a weird place to be in. With that in mind, Things I'll Miss About New Zealand: -The farmer's market, of course. Especially walking over early in the morning when hardly anyone is on the streets, and there's no line at the crepe stand. -Friday afternoons, when I had no lab and would walk to the Octagon, window-shopping, stopping at the public library, and occasionally buying mini-donuts from the cart on the Otago Museum lawn. -The Dunedin Public Art Gallery, which is big in that it has high ceilings and small in that it takes about half an hour to walk through and changes its exhibits about monthly. -Being able to get fish'n'chips from a takeaway just about anywhere. -Passionfruit in things you eat, not just shampoo. -Hot pools you can hike to. -Saying 'cheers' instead of 'thanks'. -The Wednesday night ice cream truck on Leith Street. -The Dunedin Botanic Gardens, especially the aviary. -Sheep within the city limits. -Mountains out my window in the morning.
...and Things I Miss About America: -Canned black beans, and Mexican food (any American approximation is a lot closer than the New Zealand approximation). -Milkshakes, because New Zealand milkshakes are just frothed milk with artificial syrup--you have to pay extra for ice cream, if you want it. -Speaking of syrup, the maple kind. -Speaking of maples, trees I know the names of. -Large mammals that aren't non-native species. -Northern hemisphere seasons, both the time they happen and their extremity--winter here is just like extended fall. -Central heating, though that won't matter as much because I'm going back to summer. -Driving on the right side of the road, drivers' side on the left. -Ben & Jerry's ice cream. -Being able to get up in the morning without shuddering. -Family.