The things that I miss

There are the little things. The little things are what I miss. They are the things that you don’t really think about when you are there but when you are “home” you really miss them. 
I am half Swiss and there are the little things that I miss from Thun.
My grandmother made mint tea from the mint leaves in her garden. I pull the leaves from the pot outside the door, wash it and put it in a little net thing. I pour the hot water over it and there you go. Mint tea. But no matter what I do here in the States, the mint tea in Switzerland is always better.
The fresh rolls and bread that my grandfather gets at 6:30 in the morning. They smell amazing and there is always fresh orange juice and coffee on the table. There is small plate, normally white, that has the butter in it.
The hot chocolate. It’s creamy and there is always a box of cocoa mix in the cabinet. My grandmother always puts lots of milk and cream in it but there still is a lot of the thick chocolate taste.
The dish detergent that smells so much like her. And after dinner, the kitchen always smells like it because they don’t have a dish washer.
The pink flower tea set that has green leaves. They are kept on the top shelf near where the sink is but it is near the corner. We always have tea after dinner and when we are eating dessert. Sometimes, my grandparents drink their espresso and my sister and I drink mint tea. It's relaxing to sit on the green lawn, looking over the mountains that loom over Thun.
The smell of apricot pie that fills the house when she puts the pie in the oven. There is cinnamon and sugar that is sprinkled over the fresh apricots. It sweet and tart, and the apricot juice seeps out onto your plate.
The escalator that you ride on when you are in the Migro. Then, when you get on the top, there is the chocolate cart that has the best chocolate. My absolute favorite chocolate is the one with the rice crispies on the bottom. Or the hazelnuts. Both are amazing. Also in the Migro, there are decorations everywhere as August 1st approaches. The red and white flags are in line with the firecrackers and the sparklers.
I don't know why I remember the little things about Switzerland. The cool air after it rains. The sun sets and the sun rises over the mountain. The cool forests. Why do I first go there and not to the the big tourist destinations, like Interlaken? Or when I do think of them, it's of the flower boxes and the simple, tiny and elegant churches?
I miss Switzerland and I can not wait until I go back this summer. To the Aare, the swans and the Ferris Wheel.


The song for today: Amy McDonald -- This is the Life