Familiar.

I was given the greatest gift yesterday. I arrived home after doing some work, and walked into a house that smelled like tortillas. That's right, tortillas cooking and being cooked to make quesadillas. Yum.

If you know me a little, you know that food is really important to me. It is a huge part of who I am, and food cooked in my home is extremely special. As I've been living in Fresno for a little over a month and a half, I realize that there are certain things that hold really special places in my heart. The funny thing is, that although I already knew that I loved these things, being distanced from them grows my love. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

So things that are familiar are precious to me right now. I was amazed at how speaking Spanish in a new city was so awesome, the smell of tortillas made my heart sing, and reading the Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew allowed me to revel in the familiarity of it.

These things, as much as mail, visits from friends who offer side hugs, kisses on the head and trips to grab paletas and Pho make this transition smoother.

Smoother until the sights, sounds and tastes of Fresno become just as familiar.

(Yes, I'm grinning right now 'cause "familiar" is spelled the same in English and Spanish.)