Ok... I know this has been long awaited and I know that this post is very very long, but I wrote it more for my sake than for others. Either way, enjoy the top 30 things I miss since being home from Mexico. #

30. Sweat. Since the time I walked off of the airplane until the day I returned back to Salt Lake City, my face, arms, legs, back, etc. never stopped sweating. It was natural to me at the time, and I got used to smelling like everyone else. I carried a handkerchief in my back pocket every day to wipe the sweat off of my face before entering a home. Since Mexico, I haven't sweated one single day other than when I am involved in physical activity. Got to love the oily skin! 29. The Virgin Guadalupe. Every person I met loved, worshiped and lived for the Virgin Guadalupe. I never understood what the big hoopla was about, seeing that the own Catholics leaders considered her a “graven image,”. They believed that she was the mother of all of us and was could appear at any moment to anyone if they were worthy. One time we were walking down the street and saw people surrounding a tree in a park. They were taking pictures, crying and lying down flowers. We asked what the celebration was for and they explained that La Virgin had appeared in the tree trunk. I looked at my companion and we smirked, finding it hard to believe that they would accept the magical, but not the truth. Other supposed references have been spotted in loaves of bread, lawns, walls and paintings…ridiculous! We definitely were influenced by her presence in every home we went, not necessarily a good thing. 28. Sunsets. There is nothing greater than riding your bike home along the boardwalk of Champoton, Campeche as the sun is setting over the Gulf of Mexico or riding on a bus up the Mexican Riviera as the sun sets over the Caribbean’s turquoise water. I have tons of pictures and they are some of my favorites. 27. Mayan. Kiik, Tuchkabin, Malo, Sucum, Takin, Hoo are all part of the everyday vocabulary of the Mayan people. There is no other place in the world besides Guatemala, where the Mayan influence still exists. Probably 85% of the citizens of the Peninsula spoke Mayan fluently. It is a beautiful dialect filled with culture, emotion and history. It is dying and it is truly a shame. 26. Animals. Cockroaches, scorpions, mosquitoes, snakes, spiders, iguanas, lizards, flies, birds, mice and rats were all present in nearly every house in all 8 areas. I became a great target, having been bit by mosquitoes, numerous different spiders and stung by a brown scorpion. I consider myself lucky compared to others. 25. Weather With an average temperature in the 90's and many months reaching over 110 degrees with 90% humidity, you can't help but love the weather. My dinky fans were no match for the tropical, sticky and humid weather that consumed my life and filled my lungs on a daily basis. It is indescribable and were it not for OXXO gas stations with air conditioning on nearly every corner, I don't think I would've survived. 24. Buses. Oh how I love the public bus system; complete with reckless drivers, sweaty passengers and a whole array of animals and food. They were my transportation every single day and believe it or not, I never fell or got pushed off. For my companion, that was a different, hilarious story. 23. Baptismal Interviews. Being able to interview a candidate that has read, prayed, been taught the lessons and has received a confirmation of the Holy Ghost is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They are able to ask questions, bear their testimony and profess that they know that the church is true. It was one of my favorite parts about being a missionary. 22. Agendas. It was my life; filled with contact numbers, baptismal interview questions, goals, lunch assignments, and an hour-by-hour breakdown of every meeting, lesson and appointment throughout the day. By the end of the transfer, they were always ripped, torn, stained and watermarked… reminding me of how much I needed and used them. 21. Dirt. Mexico is full of it. Streets, floors, houses, buses, and every inch in between are full. Every morning I would shine my shoes, and every night they were covered...along with my arms, neck and face. I miss the feeling of it all over the body and grittiness of it between my teeth as I walked down the street. 20. Zone Conferences. One of the best parts f the month was when several zones or even half the mission would reunite and receive inspirational counsel from the President, his wife and the assistants. The food was always iffy, except for the Costco muffins and juice…and it was a great time to see ex-companions and friends. 19. Typhoid. Yep, I was sick with it. Typhoid was very common in the mission and when I had been out over a year, many Elders were coming down with it. Mainly from the water, mosquitoes or some other medium. I was lucky enough to get it, and it is not fun. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, dehydration and headaches lasted over a week and the anti-biotic, combined with sleep cured me. 18. E-Coli. The second disease was a completely different experience. Right after I arrived in Mexico, I was sent to one of the poorest, smallest areas of the mission. I loved it! It was a change of scenery, lifestyle and food. I ate in a small hut 10’ x 10’ with hammocks in place of the table. After eating uncooked pork day after day, I finally realized that something in my immune system was out of whack. After numerous tests, a transfer of area, and three weeks with nausea, diarrhea, dehydration, vomiting, and intense pain, I was cured. I still don’t believe my body will ever be the same, but, I am blessed to have been healed. Not an experience I would wish upon anyone. 17. Hammocks. The first night I arrived, I was given a hammock as my bed. It was the hardest thing to adjust too, but for two years, it was my resting spot. I don’t know if it’s because I was always exhausted, but the hammock always felt amazing… better than any mattress. Though it’s not the best thing for the spine, it sure feels like heaven. I miss it everyday! 16. Interviews with the President. The only actual time spent away from a companion was those interviews. It was like talking to your parents again and laying everything out. I always felt trust, loyalty and love every month, as I would spend those twenty precious minutes with my leader. 15. Principles of the Gospel. Every Sunday, the missionaries were assigned to teach the principles of the gospel class during Sunday school. The class and manual are full of the basic teachings and I learned more in there from the recent converts and investigators than I did in most other places. 14. Companionship Study. Singing hymns in Spanish, memorizing scriptures, mock teaching, and in-depth doctrinal study were a very important part of every morning. Before leaving the house, we took part in this activity and it was there where I learned how to trust and love most of my companions. 13. Yucatecan Cuisine. If there was one thing that made my mission stand apart from any other mission, it was the food. Just because I was in Mexico doesn’t mean that I ate Mexican or even TexMex food. My food was 100% yucatecan… meaning Mayan influence, fatty meat, pork, rice, homemade corn tortillas and habanero peppers. I had few favorites and many dislikes. I always wanted to take pictures of the crazy stuff I ate, but I always felt it would be rude and disrespectful to the members, so I did the next best thing. I bought a yucatecan cookbook and brought it home to show the family! Now they believe me. 12. Phone Calls Home. There were only four times throughout the whole mission that I really, really looked forward to a specific date. They were all set in stone and included phone calls home to Pocatello. I was only given about half an hour each phone call, which was very hard for me and even harder for my mom and family. I will always remember those conversations and where I was at each call. 11. Internet Cafes. One of the best conveniences of going on a mission is that you get to write home once a week to your family and friends. If I wouldn’t have had that luxury, I don’t think I could have served for two years. Every Monday I would have to find an Internet café where I could go and rent a computer for thirty minutes. It was there where I was informed of the day-to-day events going on back in the states and the major events happening in the lives of family and friends. The computers were always slow and old with missing and broken keys, but that is how I will remember writing my weekly letters home. 10. Jokes in Spanish. There is nothing funnier than understanding a different language and speaking it fluently. Jokes in another language are always funnier and never translate the same. I think I laughed harder at the things my companion or the members would say than I ever have here at home. jaja 9. Cold Showers. At first glance it seems torturous, but after living in the humidity, it is the best thing I can explain. Twice, sometimes even three times a day, I would shower (sometimes with a bucket) in freezing water. It was the only way to completely cool off. 8. Ties. The mission pack list says to pack 6-8 ties and when I left home I think I took twelve. I traded many ties, received many in packages, and bought tons. At one point, I had over 50-60 ties!! It was ridiculous, but I think I had a fetish with neckties. However, that ended when I had six months left and I started giving away ties to companions, ex-companions, converts and members. When I came off the plane, I was wearing the only tie I owned at the time. I miss the other 59, but I figured that the people needed them more. 7. Wash Day. Having grown up in a home with a mother very particular about her laundry and often times going to school and people complaining that I smelled like Downey and Tide, the whole aspect of washing my clothes in a bucket was horrendous. It took 3-4 hours every Monday to wash my clothes, and even then they weren’t clean. 6. Ipils. The native white clothes worn by the Mayan women. Every woman made their own and wore them on a daily basis., making them very popular and common. 5. Exhaustion. Serving a mission automatically means exhaustion. For anyone who has insomnia or has trouble sleeping, the best remedy I can prescribe is a mission. After working so hard for so many hours, it was never difficult to fall asleep because your mind, body and entire being are exhausted. There is no better feeling than lying down and knowing that you have done everything in your power to help those around you that day. 4. Spanish. I had the secret prideful mentality that I didn’t want to serve a mission unless I could speak another language. It was very selfish, but I guess the Lord decided to let me have that one blessing. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be and there were many times that I would laugh at myself or the people would laugh at me, but I was ok with it. It made me study harder, speak more and learn so that I could speak fluently after almost 6 months in the country. It also has given me a better employment and salary because I am bilingual. 3. Teaching. 2. Baptisms. To see the final fruits of your labor is the driving force for any missionary. Seeing those people you love dressed in white with a glowing face is picturesque. I always told myself that if that happiness that I felt those days was anything compared to the celestial kingdom, then I could hardly wait. There is something magical about sacred ordinances. 1. Natives. I miss the people more than anything else in the entire world. At first, when I didn’t understand their language or their culture, I thought the natives were strange, different and weird. But after I served them, taught them and loved them, I saw that they are just like me and my family. They laugh, cry, joke, have problems, work, read and have the same ups and downs as we do. They are my family and I love and miss them just as much as I would my own blood. When I got to go back two months ago and visit, I cared more about seeing them than I did any tourist destination. I can’t wait until the next time I get to see their faces.