Tomorrow I’m making the long journey home to Texas for a two month long visit. I am so incredibly excited to see my friends and family. I am very lucky in that I get to travel home pretty frequently compared to most (about every 8-9 months), but it’s still hard to be away from “home” and the people I love for such long periods of time. Living abroad definitely takes its toll on a person.
This year I get to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years with my family, spend a long weekend in NYC with my best friend, see Justin Timberlake in concert and celebrate my Dad’s 60th birthday with him. Pretty amazing, right?
As well as missing people (who are definitely my top priority), I also miss other comforts of home… FOOD! Korean food is excellent and I have been making sure to fill up on it before my long trip home, but the food in Texas is hard to beat. Here are the top 5 things I’m looking forward to eating when I’m home.
1. Mexican Food (Tex-Mex)
We have tried numerous “Mexican” restaurants in Korea, but none of them come close to satisfy my craving for real, authentic Tex-Mex. And there’s also the drive-thru variety… Taco Bueno is calling my name!
2. Sweet Tea
I don’t know if this actually counts as a food, but I don’t care. I love the stuff! But don’t even try to add lemon. That’s not my cup of tea! (Yes, I’m ashamed for the terrible pun, but #sorrynotsorry)
3. Sandwiches
Korea’s sandwich game is seriously lacking. Even though Subway is blowing up throughout the country, I still feel there is a major void when it comes to American-style sandwiches. Every time I go back to the States I crave Jimmy John’s and I am really looking forward to eating there while I’m home.
4. Chinese Buffets
You may find this funny that I live in East Asia and crave Chinese food, but it’s true. Korea has Koreanized Chinese food, but I miss Americanized Chinese. Fried rice, chow mein, egg rolls… all the good stuff!
5. Mom’s Fried Chicken
There’s nothing like my mom’s cooking and her fried chicken is pretty awesome! Mom, if you’re reading this then please consider this my official plea to get you to make this for me while you’re in town. I can’t wait to sit down to a home-cooked family meal with my loved ones.
Going home is terrible for my waistline. This time around I better become friends with the gym!
Life Outside of Texas 
You’ve got me salivating now! good Tex-mex is not happening in London either. It has gotten better but nowhere like it is in Texas. People here don’t do buffets either – not salad buffets, Chinese, Indian etc. Possibly we have an obesity problem in the US thanks to all the buffet choices but I really miss a good buffet.
Oh how wonderful! Two months at home! Enjoy every moment, and every calorie 🙂
Love this! Definitely will be making a list before I go home too! I usually just make one on my phone (about 15 restaurants I HAVE to go to) but I like how you shared yours with pictures! Great idea 🙂
Oh you’re making me drool!!! When I go home (to California) it’s going to be ALLLLL about Mexican food! Nothing in Korea even comes close! Have a great trip! 🙂
Two words: breakfast tacos.
I only made #5 on your list?
Great post! You’ve given me inspiration to write a similar post for when I go home to New Zealand 🙂
How in the world didn’t BBQ make the list? Are you sure you’re from Texas? lol
I hear ya man, although I drink un-sweet tea (and I drink a lot of it) BBQ (especially the brisket) definitely would make my list, in place of the Chinese food you have listed. Tex-Mex is the #1 thing I miss for sure. I live in the Philippines, not Korea though. Good sandwiches in the area of the Philippines I live is pretty much no existent, unless I make them myself (if I can find adequate ingredients). I just received a balikbayan box with my jalapenos in it, so at least I got that little craving stopped for now. My wife makes awesome fried chicken so I don’t worry about that much, but a decent hamburger is hard to come by and I do miss a lot of the little hamburger places that have the great burgers and I miss WhatABurger and Dairy Queen too. The ice cream here is no where near as good as the US either. But the people are pretty awesome (for the most part) and it costs a lot less to survive here than in Texas, unless I want to be on welfare (and I don’t). Now I think I’ll look over your blog and see if there are any more articles that interest me as much as this one.