Moms are the best medicine.

What is it about being sick or hurt that makes you want your mother?

(My older sister and I asleep on my mom)

I was throwing up all night last night and most of the morning and the first call I made today was to my mom. I'm 24 years old and my mom is hundreds of miles away, but yet there I was wishing she was with me.

I love moms. I especially love MY mom.

There is a certain comfort that only mothers can provide and I think no matter the age we will always need it.

hola.

I only took 1 year of Spanish in high school. Which I totally got an A in by the way.

Do you know what you learn in your first year of Spanish?

I do.

Colors and School Supplies.

When I first moved to Utah when I was 19 I applied to work at a mexican restaurant. They asked me in my interview if I knew Spanish and I was totally honest and said "No....UNLESS someone wants to talk about school supplies...in which case, I'm their girl."

I was hired.

I would sometimes just say all the spanish words I knew and would pretend like I knew how to speak the language.

" Hola amigo, lapiz cuaderno boligrafo papel la mochila??"

If you have never taken Spanish or don't remember your first year of Spanish..let me translate.

I just said: "Hello friend, pencil notebook pen paper backpack"

They got the biggest kick out of me, the little white girl or should I say the little BLANCA girl...

****

Today at work (I work at a scrapbook store) this hispanic woman came in.

I greeted her and asked her if I could help her with anything.

She just looked at me and said "espanol??"

I shook my head and apologized. Thats when the charades began. She dug into her purse and pulled out a pencil. She then pretended to be sharpening her pencil...

I gasped. "Oh! you want a SACAPUNTAS?!?!"

Her eyes got nearly as big as the grin on her face.

"SI!!!!!!"

We laughed.

Unfortunately we didn't have any pencil sharpeners for her to buy, but she didn't leave until I taught her how to say pencil sharpener.

Looks like my first year of Spanish paid off.

Adios, amigos.

I've been thinking a lot lately...

about how DESPERATE I am to put another stamp in my passport and trust me if money wasn't an issue my passport would be full.

Someday I will have money. Someday I will see more of the world that was created for us. I think often about my short time living abroad and how much I miss it.

It's funny though because halfway into my trip in China I would go out and lay in the middle of the playground and look up at the night sky and see planes and imagine myself on them going back home. I missed home so bad. I missed my family, my friends, American food, warm showers and private bathroom stalls. After being home for awhile I realized how silly that was. My family will always be here, so will my friends.

America will always offer hamburgers and pizza.

My beautiful cousin Erin is currently living in Ecuador. She had only planned on staying there a short time, but after much consideration she decided to stay there longer. She emailed all of us recently telling us of her decision. She was told some great advice by a friend and the quote has stayed with me.

"There's too much to see right where we are to chase places we miss."

I wish someone would have shared this with me when I was living abroad.