What I will be missing, and what I will be gaining

What am I thinking of, going back to Norway?
There is so much here that I will be missing:
Contra dancing
NPR radio
Warm sunny days, sitting on the swings along the inlet or in the garden recliner at the farm reading.
Hot muggy days with fruit smoothies or chocolate frappucinos.
Lemonade
Apple cider
Root beer
Bagels and pastries from Ithaca Bakery
American ice cream
Coffee from Starbucks
Organic groceries from Greenstar
Restaurants like the Moosewood, and The Taste of Thai
Clothes from Old Navy
The gorges
The commons
Theater
All the lovely and interesting places in the United States that are easy to visit when you live here.
The friendliness, the ease with which one can come into conversation, the affection even in superficial friendships...

What is there in Norway that I can’t have here?
National Health: the security of knowing that your health needs will be taken care of free of charge or at least for a reasonable fee, social security in times of need.
Decent working conditions: like 5 weeks vacation, 35 hr work week, sick and maternity leave...
Nearness to all the European countries with their fantastic varieties of culture, history, cuisine etc.

I feel like I have one foot planted on each side of the Atlantic. I feel at home in both Europe and America, and at the same time I feel at home in neither one…