Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Last night I cooked dinner for myself for the first time here in Greece. I made spaghetti with sautéed mushrooms, scallions, and garlic. It was delicious, and so very grown up to make something all by myself…except I didn’t. I had my mom on Skype the whole time, with the computer aimed at my kitchen, constantly asking her questions. Some of them were hard to answer over the internet, like “Is the spaghetti done yet?” But it turned out really well; I have leftovers to feed me a day or two more, and still have enough ingredients to make this dish several more times. I wolfed down the pasta while still talking to my mom, but the second the bowl was empty a wave of homesickness crashed over me.

For a second, I had been tricked into thinking I was back home again—stirring up the noodles and calling over my shoulder to Mom while she flipped through a cookbook looking for easy recipes, I could have been home. Once, the phone rang and I heard it through Skype, and my first thought was “I’ll get it”. Then once I was done cooking I ate dinner with my mom via webcam, but when the food was gone, I realized how far from home I am and that I would soon sign off and my family would be gone. It made me so instantaneously homesick that I started crying. It just made me miss my family and the family dinners I’m so used to.

Of course, it was as I was sniffling and doing to dishes someone came up to ask me what I was doing that evening. It was actually probably good that they did, because I was able to go out with some girls and forget about my homesickness.

Today, I made myself breakfast (eggs, sunny-side up) and lunch (grilled ham and cheese, baby!) without bursting into tears, so it’s getting better. (Side note: the only sliced cheese I could find at the super market that wasn’t swiss was gouda—it was actually good, but the whole time I was eating it I just kept hearing Marshall, “Dude, how ‘bout that gouda?”.) I still miss my family, but I’m really thankful for the technology that can make it seem like I’m right back home. I’m also really grateful Mom took the time out to sit at the computer and walk me through it—I would have totally screwed it up by myself, but now I have a nice little confidence boost, knowing there is one dinner that sounds fancy and I can easily make myself in the future.

A glimpse at my creation, after I’ve had a bowl. I have plenty of leftovers, and plenty ingredients too. Doesn’t it look appetizing?

My mom on Skype, helping me cook thousands of miles away!