Move over Movember....it's time for Dinovember!

This was one of the first things I read this morning and what a great way to start the day it was! Like the writer says, in today's technology age where a childhood of wonder and imagination seems to be lost, what a cute idea to help keep the magic of life alive!   

What have your dinosaurs gotten into lately?! 

Wanna know what I'm talking about? Check out the link below to find out! : )

https://medium.com/thoughts-on-creativity/6f4cb1886d41

Back in the US of A **UPDATED

I've been back in the US for less than a week and I've noticed some things about life back here that I wanted to spew out before I forget them/I get used to them and no longer recognize them as unique.

1.  I really missed walking around barefoot in a house and not feeling dirty from doing so.

2. To go along with #1, it's nice to NOT have to sweep a house 5 times a day (and still feel like it's dirty)

3. It's noisy over here.  Cars, planes, lawn mowers, dishwashers, tvs, etc. Quite different from the chickens and church announcements I'm used to in Guatemala.

4. Driving is hard. I never realized how much (over)stimulation happens when driving.  Especially on highways, and when you don't know where you're going.  Not only are you watching the road, but the gas tank, mileage, kids in the back seat, radio nob, directions, lights.....I never realized how exhausting it was since I was so used to it!  BUT, I LOVE having a car. Not only for the freedom, but for not having to lug around all my stuff from errands the entire day.  Just pop them in the car and let the car carry them instead of a sweaty backpack.

5. It's SO nice to have water fountains and (FREE) bathrooms (mostly clean) everywhere you go

6. My sister has great taste in clothes and I'm so grateful we are the same size and she doesn't mind sharing with me (or doesn't have a say since she's out of town)

7. I LOVE going to the gym!!!!

8. Americans have a lot of STUFF and they don't shy away from being rude and angry in public : ( I HATE bureaucracy (wow, normally, I consider myself a good speller, but that word made me feel special) and "policies" as much, if not more so, than when I left!!!!

9. It's nice to....
*play in grass without fire ants or scorpions,
*eat pre-cooked organic beans (make that anything already canned and ready to eat without soaking
  overnight and boiling for a few hours),
*have the freedom to go places (even at night),
*watch tv
*leave the house without storing my computer, money, etc. in a safe
*eat veggies without disinfecting them
*sit on a sofa
*sit on a carpeted floor
*take great showers and have non-frizzy, not only-pony-tail worthy hair
*have a printer
*go to the library
*not have to make an entire day trip to go to the bank or grocery store or key copy or any other errand
*have a DISHWASHER! and washer machine, and dryer!
*Appreciate my country for some of the good things it has to offer.

10. CHEMICALS---I'm not a fan and they seem to be everywhere. I've always been sensitive to them but even more so now that I've removed them from my life (as much as possible).  I went to the gym the other day and had to cover my nose every 5 seconds from all the chemicals being sprayed. It seemed like every time I tried to breathe, someone was spraying a machine down, spraying their towel, or using hand sanitizer.  I won't even get into why this is SO TERRIBLE for everyone involved, so I'll just say it was smelly, burned my nose, and made it hard for me to breathe.  Only bad part of the gym...the rest was great!

So, it happens quite often that I don't have a good photo and I simply "Google Image search" what I want to portray in the blog.  It's usually spot on, no matter what randomness I type.  For this entry, I typed, "It's so good to be here, even though I still miss home"....and google must be out to lunch because the results had NOTHING to do with that...they were too funny not to share. So here are some of the best picks. Enjoy.

I've never met Natascha, but I'm sure she's lovely and I would miss her if I knew her.

I do miss having funds in my savings account so I suppose this is somewhat on target.

It's not even Friday, Google. Get your s**t together.

Too many possible captions running around in my head to pick just one.

Okay, I'll give you credit for these two.  I do miss my garden and my dog, so....

I guess I'm missing the woman in me? Time to go paint my nails.

I'm going to Disneyland!!!

I'm sitting in my hotel room in Guatemala City, waiting to head to the airport and to the states after almost a year away. I am full of emotion--excited, sad, anxious, tired, etc.

After living in such a peaceful, easy-going town where I walk everywhere and my food store is the size of my bedroom back home, the thought of heading to congested highways and super-sized grocery stores can seem a bit overwhelming. 

I arrived in Guatemala City yesterday and stopped at Tikal futuro mall for lunch in the food court. Walking in the mall (and seeing Xmas decorations) immediately created anxiety rising in me.

I still remember when I came back to the USA after living for almost 3 years in Paraguay. The first time I went to the grocery store, I walked in and immediately back out. It was too much. Later, I went to the mall with my mom (it was also Christmas time and very crowded). I've never enjoyed malls so I'm not sure why I thought that would be a good idea. This time, I only made it as far as the parking lot, saw the cars, imagined all the crowds, and had mom drive me home. Hello reverse culture shock!

Last but not least, Im anxious about the flights. I haven't had a panic attack in over a year now but the memory of my attack during a flight is still very fresh and scary. It's been awhile since I've had to practice my calming techniques so I hope I remember them. Plus, in true San Marcos style, I now have my trusty crystals with me to hold on the plane, should I need them.

And while I'm nervous about the culture shock, I think it's eased by remembering that I'm only visiting and by focusing on the positive things I'm looking forward to. The obvious, and most important reasons, being seeing my family and friends. But, as my expat friends and I like to discuss, going home is like going to Disneyland. Working, hot, showers! Clean, soft bedding! Here is my list of stateside goods I'm looking forward to most:

1. Showers! Hot ones, long ones, ones with two nozzles to adjust the temperature, ones with enough pressure to wet my hair and rinse the soap off my body, ones without mosquitoes biting me during it, ones where I know there will be water coming out when I turn it on.

2. Baths!!!! 

3. Eating a meal without checking for ants in every bite and every honey pour.

4. Fresh, organic, salads (that I don't have to disinfect first).

5. Washing machines and dryers!

6. Not feeling like I'm constantly being ripped off because of the color of my skin.

7. Washing my toothbrush holder and water bottle straw in the dish washer (I brought them on this trip specifically for this reason).

8. Thai food, fish tacos, Mexican food, chocolate-covered cashews, pizza slices, gelato, more salads, and fresh salmon.

9. Having a car. I'm actually a bit nervous to drive, but look forward to the freedom of it.

10. Target. I'm looking forward to one-stop shopping and not having to go all over the country (literally) to complete a shopping list.

11. Salt shakers that work.

12. No bugs, scorpions, critters, etc. crawling on me in bed or any other time.

13. Sinks with cold and hot water. And ones that have an endless supply of water and are never turned off.

15. Throwing toilet paper in the toilet and not having to burn it.

16. Watching movies on anything other than a computer or iPod screen.

17. Radios.

18. Running new routes, on a track, and gyms( spinning, body pump, swimming)!!!!

19. Sharing the love of my friends and family!!!

***UPDATE: 20. And how could I forget perhaps the most important one....sitting on a REAL SOFA!!!! I'm loving life in the USA on my comfy sofa right now! : )