Over the last couple of months I have been compiling a mental list of the things I will miss and the things I will not when I return home. Today I decided to put that list into writing so here it goes…

MISS: Fried Bananas: There is a family on the corner that sells fried bananas covered in cream, strawberry jam, evaporated milk, and caramel. It costs 17 pesos and I think I singlehandedly help that family put food on the table. I’m told it doesn’t count for “fruit” but it makes me feel like I’m eating more balanced anyway.

NOT MISS: Public Transportation: I can cram into a crowded combi or metro line, but it doesn’t mean I enjoy it. I haven’t driven in so long I’m not sure I remember which is the gas and which is the brake. I look forward to riding in a vehicle where I can not only have my own seat, I can also choose the music.

MISS: Having the Most Flexible Working Hours I Will Ever Have In My Life: Some days I get up whenever I want to and still have time to do devotions, practice my Spanish, work out, and shower before I need to be anywhere.

NOT MISS: The family that lives upstairs: And it’s not just that their three year old son screams profanities that would make a sailor blush, its also the fact that there are 14 of them. The girls play poorly selected music as well, and the effort needed for tuning out their blaring off-key sing alongs sometimes gives me nosebleeds.

MISS: Cilantro: I love the stuff. Why don’t we use it more in the US?

NOT MISS: My bathroom: Don’t get me wrong, I do feel fortunate to have hot water, many of my fellow SALTers do not. But I still have to light a finicky boiler and wait 20 minutes. Showers must be premeditated. The toilet flushes, but relies solely on gravity. Buckets of water are needed every time someone makes a humble donation to the porcelain god.

MISS: DVD’s for $1: Many spur of the moment decisions were made for popcorn and a movie because you can get all you need for under two bucks. Occasionally you get a grainy film taken from someone’s camcorder in the theatre with subtitles that only come on every once in a while, but for the most part it is quite a steal.

NOT MISS: Having Nowhere to Go After 9:00 PM: Dangerous city life is a drag. Not only am I locked in my room more than I would like, it also has meant that with the exceptions of sleepovers on the weekends, nobody can do anything after 8:00 because they have to get home before dark. That’s when things get STARTED back home.

MISS: Fresh Juice: Not just fresh, but cheap. During certain times of the year fresh squeezed juice is not just cheaper than the store bought stuff, its also cheaper than buying the fruit and squeezing the juice yourself.

NOT MISS: Mexican Comedy: Mexicans love clowns. That should have been my first warning. TV Humor is so over the top here, nothing is subtle. This isn’t my sixth birthday party, I should be granted enough respect to get the punch line without mime-like facial expressions. While I’m on a TV rant, I won’t miss soap operas here either. In the US they are only on in the early afternoon when no self respecting person watches TV. Here they are on all day and waaayy too many people take them seriously.

MISS: Board Games at all Hours of the Day: It technically fits in my job description to play a few games of Risk or Settlers of Catan at 2:00 in the afternoon. Don’t really have my hopes up for that being the case ever again in my life.

NOT MISS: Duranguense and Norteño music: As a lover of music I have tried REALLY hard to appreciate both of these styles (one which is driven by the tuba, the other the accordion). I’m not sure whose idea it was after the first song of each style was written to say “Hey! We could make thousands more songs EXACTLY like that one!” Everyone listens to it. Avoiding it is like trying to find a radio station not playing country in Nebraska. Even tough looking youth thump it in their pimped out cars. Sorry kids, subwoofers were NEVER made for the tuba.

MISS: Attention From the Ladies: I’ve never had a face that stands out in a crowd, but when you’re the only American male for miles and theirs nothing to compare me to, I feel like I’m living the musical Grease. The other day the two girls behind me at the grocery store took a picture of me with their camera phones as I was leaving. And that’s not the first time that’s happened either. Our rock band played a high school graduation a few weeks ago and I had requests to have my photo taken with no less than 5 girls. I’d like to think I’m not letting it go to my head, but the gene pool sure favors Latinas and I sure don’t mind the attention. Plus my friends have ALWAYS said I have Johnny Depp’s strong jaw line.

NOT MISS: Living in a City that Doesn’t Value Cleanliness: I’m talking mostly about trash here. There are no trash cans here, so you can either put the sticky popsicle stick in your pocket or toss it on the street with everyone else’s. The channel that runs through the city by the pastor’s house is black and about as thick as pudding. People even throw their old couches in there. In about a month I face the challenge of not letting my dad pick up aluminum cans to be recycled so that we can do some touristy things like most Americans.

Stay tuned for part 2…