There are more than enough sayings expressing the same sentiment that you can't really appreciate something until you are separated from it. That seems to be the story of my life right now. I never appreciated being an American until I was away from my country. I never understood just how important my family was to me until I couldn't see them every day. I didn't know how amazing my best friends were until they kept loving me even though I went across an ocean. And now, being in Bergen for a week, I've begun to finally appreciate the other home I've found myself in for the past 2 months. I've accidentally fallen in love with so much about RCN. The people, the atmosphere, the landscape, even my room and my corner. I've started putting so much of me into that place that it's difficult to be away from it for the first time since I've been there. I'm content that now I feel grateful for everything that I have or have had. Perhaps missing something is the best way of loving it.