My Running List of Things I Will Miss About New York (and to a lesser extent, the United States)

T-13 days until Paris

If you had asked me a month ago what I would miss about New York during my stint abroad, I would have come up with shockingly few items. I was feeling burned out from the City, always going to the same places to eat, same bars, same crowds, same parties. But with the big day getting closer, I remember that the last time I lived in Paris, I started to hate it too by the end of my stay. A very recent two-week trip to California, while exceedingly pleasant, also forced me to think about what I will be missing about my hometown.

So, here it is the first installment of things I (Will) Miss About New York/USA. Unsurprisingly, they're nearly all about food.

1. Ice: America is the land of freedom and ice cubes. Ask for glaçons with your water or soda in Paris and you will get two, maybe three, ice cubes. And we're talking about sad tray-made ice cubes, not like those industrial cylindrical beauties with the hollow centers, or the amazing gravel-sized pellets like at Sonic (which we don't even get in New York), or even the standard hotel ice machine-sized briquettes. You can cool a .33L cannette of Coca-Light as much as you want, but it will still be lukewarm in 5 minutes. 
2. Real Chinese Food: Or, not even "real" Chinese food. Paris doesn't even have decent fake Chinese food. Paris has terrific pho. It has decent Japanese and even some Korean places. And, believe me, its not for a lack of trying that I don't know of any decent places. Most of the saddest meals I've ever had in Paris involved me trying to sate my craving with some reheated poulet au miel (aka sesame chicken without the sesame) at the traiteur chinois around the corner for my apartment. I would sell my first-born for Xi'an Famous Foods or Prosperity Dumpling to come to Paris.
3. Mexican Food: New York Mexican food isn't even that good I'm told. Of course, it's the Californians (and the odd Texan or two) who tell me this. But it does more than just fine for me. And in comparison, Paris got their first real taqueria in 2011. While I was there from 2006 to 2007, we either had to settle for unbelievably bad "Tex-Mex," or try to approximate it from scratch at home. Have you ever tried finding an avocado in Paris? It's not the easiest task, especially on a student budget. Also, we found out that canned guacamole is really gross and, strangely, not even that green. 
4. Comfort Food/BBQ/Southern Food: This is my own fault. Far too many trips to Fette Sau, Hill Country BBQ, Hill Country Chicken, Pies n' Thighs. Heck, even to Dallas BBQ. I have no shame. 
5. Bars: This sounds ridiculous, but I will miss terrible dives like the Levee. I'll miss No Name. I already miss Darkroom. With time, and if things are particularly sad, I may end up missing Lit Lounge. I know I'll miss $5 beer and shot combos when I'm laying out 10 euros for a mojito that I don't even like/want. Also, do they play Cut Copy, Passion Pit, Holy Ghost!, etc. at bars in Paris? M83? I mean, he's French, they have to, no? God, I hope they do. It can't all be Pitbull collaborations with David Guetta.

I don't want to dwell on these things, so I'll stop there. Also as a grad student I realize that my priorities should lie elsewhere and not with nightlife and mac n' cheese (as it does now, clearly).

And that is not to say I'm dreading Paris. I love Paris. I fit in in Paris. I understand Paris. It has great things going for it: cafes and bistrots; good affordable wine everywhere; Nuit Blanche; Fête de la Musique; 1 euro baguettes; Chocolate Hazelnut Muesli; incomparable culture and art; a functioning and expanding public transit system (ahem, not the MTA), etc. I just wish I could get some decent dumplings and some ice cubes in between all that when I'm feeling homesick.