Dear America

Dear America,

I'm going to see you in just over two weeks! I'm really excited. I've heard you have been unseasonably warm this spring. I hope that doesn't mean your spring flowers will be gone. In our 13 years overseas I've never seen you in April, so please keep some of those tulips and daffodils in bloom until I'm there and it would be great if you're not too hot.

I'm looking forward to your stores, to be honest. They're so big! And so full of stuff! And I don't have to stare at the labels on things for several minutes to try and see if I know what they are or what's in them, although sometimes I do get overwhelmed by the number of choices you throw at me.

Thanks for having bike paths and clear skies so I can go for runs in you in the morning. I'm looking forward to doing that without quite so many other people. It's not that I don't enjoy seeing the people here - they're friendly and curious, like the guy I always see running who shouts, "HEY!" at me and smiles when he sees me. But sometimes it's nice to run in silence without anyone loudly clearing their qi or staring at my odd and, in their minds, insufficient clothing.

Thanks for having online shopping. It's not quite as great as Tao Bao, I'll have to own that, but it's awesome for us because it means things will be waiting for us when we get there like those dresses I bought in the hopes one of them will be just right for the wedding. It saves us so much time that we can then spend with people instead.

Oh, and thanks for libraries. Free public libraries are one of the best things about you I think. I know I won't be there 24 hours before I visit one of them.

I can't wait!

Sincerely,
Gina