I miss St. Louis

Still very happy I made the decision of returning home to Sweden after 12 years of vagabonding. But the country which was my home for so long still means a lot to me and always will. Here are a few things I miss about the United States of America, with an obvious emphasis on St. Louis, Missouri:

I miss Trader Joes (which is a grocery store) with their great products, friendly staff and fun shopping environment.

I miss Whole Foods (a grocery store with a focus on healthy living). I could walk around for hours looking at food and other items. Side note, I do not miss their prices though.

I miss that people bag the groceries for you – yeah, I know this makes me sound lazy.

I miss how easy it was to magically get a cake for a birthday. Same day as the celebration and you didn't have a cake? No worries, you could just swing by Dierbergs or Schnucks (they are grocery stores) and someone in the bakery would write the bday boy’s or girl’s name on a cake and you came out looking like a hero. Did I like all the frosting American cakes have? Not really, but they sure look impressive in all its artificial glory!

Still on the topic of grocery stores: I miss the ones which are open 24/7. I really didn’t have the need to go there very often in the middle of the night. However, along with friends I did go there a few times at weird hours of the day/night and it always felt a bit like an adventure.

Staying on the topic of generous opening hours: I miss my 24/7 gym access. The other day I was at my gym in Malmö pounding away on a treadmill while watching a crappy makeover show. All of a sudden one of the workers turned off the screen and I realized it was closing time. Not only did I have to wrap up my workout in a rushed manor, I will never know what happened to the Cinderella wannabe in the show. How will I go on?! I guess I will have to change to a 24/7 gym as they do exist here too.

And gyms: I miss cheap gym memberships…oh Club Fitness…22 dollars per month.

I miss speaking English all the time. Some things just sound cooler when said in American English.

I miss bagels, although they are not the most healthy breakfast option for you. Sweden does not seem to be able to deliver on the bagel front.

I miss pizza. Before I went to the US, I did not care for pizza. But now I miss Dewey's Pizza. I am sorry St. Louis; thin crust pizza at Imo’s never made its way into my heart.

I miss driving in the USA, as basically the only other thing you have to worry about is other cars. In Europe, there are pedestrians, bicyclists, trams, buses and vespas to look out for.

I miss being in an academic environment. Being part of St. Louis Community College at Meramec and Webster University for so long offered me countless opportunities each week to attend lectures and talks given by some of the brightest and most inspirational minds out there. My daily contact with fellow students also allowed me to interact with people from all over the world. I also had the chance to work with some really talented coworkers.

I miss having Starbucks on each corner. Kind of weird that I miss it as I usually like independently run coffe shops that has a lot of character to them. But with Starbucks, well it’s familiar. When I lived in Sydney and was “homesick” for the US, I went down to my local Starbucks in Darling Harbour. But ordering a “flat white” did bring me back to present time as a “flat white” was not something I would ask a US barista for. However, now, in the beginning of 2015, you can order a flat white anywhere in the world.

I miss how easy it was to travel to other places from the Lou. Five hours or so in a car would take you to Memphis, Chicago or Kansas City. Jump on a plane and a weekend trip anywhere in the US was possible.

I miss the different neighborhoods and parts of St. Louis. My journey started out in Chesterfield, and later I moved to Olivette, Kirkwood, Shrewsbury, back out west to Wildwood and finally I settled in Webster Groves. All those spots have a special place in my heart. But my favorite area in the city: Central West End.

I miss driving out to Augusta and Defiance and visit wineries. During fall, the drive is especially magical as the leaves are displaying radiant colors of red, yellow and orange.

I miss Schlafly Bottleworks - the establishment made a beer drinker even out of me.

I miss how excited St. Louis residents get over their beloved baseball team, the Cardinals. And to lesser extent, but still excited, over their hockey team, the Blues, and their football team, the Rams.

I miss Forrest Park. A great, huge park which can make Central Park in New York City run for its money. Sitting at the top of Art Hill was one of my favorite things to do in StL.

I miss clubbing. I miss going into Horizon at Harry’s or at Pepper Lounge and seeing 20 (no kidding!) of my friends there. I also miss the Oz, a nightclub over in East St. Louis, a place which carries great memories and also sends a little bit of shiver down my spine.

I miss the Loop (an area in St. Louis) where I used to go to shows at the Pageant and chill at the rooftop bar at the Moonrise Hotel.

I miss the Grove (another area in St. Louis) and the unique bar/Russian and vegan restaurant/club called the Handle Bar. In the Grove you can also find my absolute favorite restaurant in St. Louis: Everest Cafe and Bar (Nepalese, Indian and Korean cuisine). 

And speaking of great food, I miss the ethnic restaurants found along Grand Boulevard.

I miss the Cathedral Basilica with its amazing mosaics. I have taken many quests there over the years and each time I marvel at its beauty.

I miss the Arch. Upon learning I was going to be an Au Pair in St. Louis I had to Google the city. And there it was. The gleaming Arch, the Gateway to the West. The Arch is made of stainless steel and is a simple, yet gorgeous monument. Every time I flew into the city at night, seeing the little red light on top of the Arch made me think: Okay, I am back to my American hometown now.

But of course, without a doubt, I miss the people the most. Many who are not there anymore and hence if I came back it would not be the same, not at all. But I have some of my very best friends still living in the Lou. Lou people or fellow vagabonds, you know who you are and I miss you.

I miss my American family dearly, a family who I have seen on a regular basis for the past 12 years. I love that despite not having my biological family with me I have always had a real family to go home to in moments of sadness and in moments of celebration.

I know I am missing mentioning a lot of missing items here. (That’s a whole lot of missing going on in that sentence).  And I know there are many of my friends, most of them internationals who have studied in the US/St. Louis and returned home, or expats living outside of the US, who most likely feel the same way. St. Louis is a very special place…So Meet Me in St. Louis. This ending to my post works best if you are aware there is a movie from 1944 named “Meet Me in St. Louis.” On second thought, scratch that…just Meet Me in St. Louis one day. If you are new to the place, I will give you the Grand Tour.