my mum and dad

so, if you know me well you know that i love my parents for many many reasons. i call them when i'm stressed, excited, sick, bored, lonely, or walking to class because i know they always have the right thing to say. and not being able to call them every couple of hours while i am here has been tough. i know, grow up ali, you aren't 10. but i have a great mom and dad, and i like to take advantage of that (in a good way).

i should have posted this on my mom's birthday, which was on monday, but i didn't get around to it. i was bummed out that i wasn't able to be with her on her birthday and that all i could really do was send her a whatsapp message and celebrate on her facebook. sad! but i spent the day thinking of all of the ways she has been able to reach ME since i have been here. she sends me packages with notes and little gifts in them, and i hang the notes up on my bulletin board so i can see her handwriting whenever i turn to my right. she even sent me peanut butter because i don't like the peanut butter here! this morning i woke up to an email with a photo of coto de caza drive attached (the street near my house with a beautiful view of saddleback mountain) so i could look at it when i am missing home. and she was up in the middle of the night last night whatsapping me when i was panicking about having the flu (which i do have, and it's really cramping my style this week). how great is she?

and then my dad! he sends me notes all the time, always reminding me that he loves me and is thinking of me. the few times we've been able to skype we just laugh at how crazy it is that we can still talk from all the way across the world! he is so supportive of me, letting me come to london twice this year to study and flying me to minneapolis, knowing that i would have been so upset if i couldn't be at my grandpa's funeral. my dad and i have a very special bond that i don't share with anyone else and i'm so lucky to have a dad that understands me so well, and vice versa.

i can't wait to see my parents in 5 days. i am having so much fun here, but between being sick and just receiving a package with my rainboots and things from my mom, it makes me miss them a lot and i'm so excited to have them next to me!