Departure is Imminent

Or not as imminent as I thought. My flight actually leaves at 8:30, not at 6 but better to have assumed an early time, right?
So I'm leaving Argentina for the first time in exactly 10 months. Its the longest I've ever been away from home and its been about seven months since I've seen my family. Another record. Luckily with the invention of Skype they don't seem as far away, but movies like The Wrestler reminded me that while snowy strip malls and forlorn country roads might not normally make people homesick, New Jersey is where my family is and it will always be a home of mine.
Things I am excited for:
PICKLES!!!! (clearly make the top of the list)
Hanging out with the family (really this should come first)
Seeing the friends that I haven't see in almost a year
Being in my quiet home
Bagels
Driving
NO WORK!!!
NO SUBTE!!!
NO COLECTIVOS!!!
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER (and the fact that there will be more than five brands)
The family's cocktail repertoire that has apparently been seriously augmented since I left
SWIMMING!!
The easy access to small change

Things I will miss about BA:
Speaking in Spanish
Ultimate and my Ultimate team
Meat Sandwiches
My friends and housemates and Josh
Colectivos
Cobblestones and my love hate relationship with them
Some of my students (especially the ones that gave me bday presents!! But you too Oscar)
Manzita!
The buena honda
My life here...

Don't worry though, I'll only be gone for two weeks and then my adventures in South America continue! Although, on second thought, I'll probably blog a little while I'm home because while Josh's posts are generally very good they are few and far in between. Can't have the blog fall silent so I might have to step it up. And for god's sake, when I get home somebody better have given Manzi a bath!!!