Do you miss Guatemala?

That's the question I get most often lately. And, well, right now, not really. I guess after 7 months of having to wear shoes to our bathroom, I was ready to be back here. But there are some things I miss and others I don't.

What I love about being in Guatemala:
1. How cheap everything is.
2. How Mayas LOVE children and the non-judgemental attitude they treated especially Lucy with.
3. Sitting around a fire chatting with friends.
4. How much less planning there is concerning social calls. In the USA I have to make play dates, etc, in Guatemala, people just drop by and ask to take one or both of the kids to the store for a treat or to their house to play.
5. Having "nature" so close, i.e. all the animals (chickens, dogs, etc) everywhere you look and all the beautiful corn fields.
6. The beauty of the mountains.
7. That my kids were starting to pick up on Spanish and Lucy would even occasionally come out with full sentences.
8. How fresh the food was and how we ate better just because there aren't really that many convenience foods (i.e. pb & j, microwave meals, frozen foods, etc). Peanut butter was $5 a jar and bread was expensive too, so when stuff costs that much, you tend not to buy it as often.
9. Having a maid, even though I never got over feeling really guilty about having a maid.
10. The kindness of strangers.
11. The slow pace of life there. Once back in the USA, I feel like my cell phone never stops ringing and like we're running to and fro all the time.

What I love about being in USA:
1. Mainly, I love being in my own house, with all my stuff. I know that stuff is over-rated, but sometimes it's nice to have more than a few suitcases full of one's things.
2. Decorating our house with John. The nice thing about moving out and back in to the same house is it's like an intense spring cleaning.
3. How happy Lucy is to be back.
4. Knowing that I have access to so many resources and activities that will enrich my kids lives.
5. That I can go barefoot inside the house!
6. That I don't have to walk outside to get to my kitchen.
7. Convenience foods!
8. I can just go to any store on a whim. In Guatemala it took intense planning to make a trip to the store an hour away in Xela.
9. Having a car again.
10. Not being the rich Americans anymore. I've never been well off, it felt weird to be "rich" in Guatemala. I didn't really like it and it felt so unfair that I had so many luxuries as a "poor" American than even the richer Mayas did.

In the end, everything is a mixed bag. Guatemala has taught me a deeper sense of appreciation and has woven beautiful memories into my life. Thank you Guatemala and the people of Nahuala, Guatemala.