[cliché song lyric]

Well one perk of having your birthday overseas is that you get to open your cards & presents early...

...and I just opened the parcel from my family. When I pulled put the big card with my favourite elephant wrapping paper and messages from so many friends back home I just cried and cried. I miss everybody so much. Thanks for your well wishes! Even just seeing familiar handwriting is nice. I loved the card - if I liked the love languages idea, mine would be cards with warm fuzzies from fam&friends and pretty elephants so I'm thrilled. The presents were great too of course!

One big thing I'm learning is that it is such an invaluable thing to have people who know you well and still love you - and when they're far away it's haaard. But it's OK. I've reached the stage where if (when) I were to go back I would definitely miss this part of the world: the people in it. Little Miss sometimes asks who her next carer will be, and yesterday she added "it'll be sad when you go." It will be!! On Monday I hadn't seen her for a week and about every half an hour (not kidding) she would say "Jess," "Yes?" "I love you."