1)Eggs in a basket is the best way to have toast
2)Sleeping in an airport isn’t so weird with my 5 teammates.
3)Pinatas are way more fun than I remember.
4)The combo of prayer and sleep heal me better than any medicine.
5)Going to church in a different language is not as odd as I expected. God’s presence has no language barrier.
6)Maxi Pali is owned by Walmart
7)Don’t go down the cookie isle in Maxi Pali when you have a sugar craving.
8)When you find yourself with 5 packs of cookies be sure to share with the homeless as well as all your squad mates.
9)Whoppers in Nicaragua taste even better than they do in the states.
10)It’s sometimes okay to pet a stray dog but it’s never ok to get rabies.
11)Children like attention better than anything else and they typically don’t care if your face painting skills are lacking.
12)I can indeed make cake in the microwave.
13)Dehydration is an actual threat in Central America. Gatorade is a sugar coma inducing solution to the problem.
14)Grocery stores and corner stores called Pulperias have American junk food. It’s a gamble though because it’s either expensive or stale. And the junk food the locals eat can be really weird or really good.
15)It seems like every month it takes us a little over a week to get settled and start venturing out. By the time we figure out where the best stores and restaurants are its time to move on to the next country.
16)Border crossing is a terrible game of hurry up and wait. Then stand around and be really confused. Then get in different line. Then give a stranger your passport and pray they give it back. Then get in another line and find out you have successfully crossed the border. Peanut butter never gets old.
17)If you learn one kid’s song in Spanish you will somehow have to sing it almost everyday in every Spanish speaking country you go to. So far the biggest theft problem involves your squad mates and the food you forgot to write your name on in the fridge.
18)Sometimes being a missionary means feeling more like a burden than a help.
19)Bunk beds are still cool. Mostly because they mean I don’t have to sleep on the floor.
20)You wouldn’t believe how many things you can lose in a 60 liter backpack.
21)In Chile they drink instant coffee.
22)Sometimes God loves you enough to let you experience the autumn season in April!
23)Cold showers in Autumn are a true test of willpower.
24)International flights serve better food and way better snacks. I had a burrito for a snack.
25)Cheese empanada sounds a lot like “cheese and banana” which sounds way less appealing.
26)Never say buenas noches before it is dark outside.
27)If you bring a mug of tea into church you will be laughed at.
28)In central and South America any arts and crafts project that is completed is automatically considered “bonita” (beautiful) regardless of how pretty it actually is.
29)One team of 5 girls can eat through 3 large jars of peanutbutter in less than 10 days. If you do the math that’s over 2.7 tablespoons of peanutbutter per person per day.
30)If you don’t rename yourself a Spanish name no one will be able to comprehend your real name. On the plus side, your fake Spanish name will be spelled correctly on your Starbucks cup. Hola, mi nombre es Reina.
31)I’ll never really know if the church just loves to sing “abre mis ojos” or if they keep singing it over and over again because it’s the only song my squad sort of knows in Spanish.
32)If you all of a sudden have to teach a dance class, the Cupid shuffle can be adapted to most upbeat songs.
33)In Chile what they call Cheddar is what we call American cheese.
34)At the farmers market in Honduras the apples come from Chile and Washington.
35)The free table is the best place to go shopping. Whenever our whole squad is together we purge our backpacks and put our unwanted stuff on the free table. It’s a great way to mix up your style for…. Free! If only there was a way to implement this concept back in the states.
36)Chocolate is expensive everywhere.
37)Women’s clothing sizes make even less sense in Central America.
38)You can put hot tea in your Nalgene bottle. It won’t stay hot for long but it won’t melt the plastic either.
39)Regular plastic mugs can break.
40)Also toilet seats can break.
41)Hot water heaters break.
42)Tag is a game that is understood universally and has no language barrier.
43)If you want to feel beautiful on the World Race, forget to look in the mirror and throw on a cheap necklace.
44)Hersey kisses leftover from Christmas still taste as good.
45)Microwave popcorn is a suitable birthday gift.
46)Just because there are mangoes on a tree doesn’t mean you can take them.
47)Dairy products are a luxury. Don’t eat or drink them on a binge if you haven’t had any for a week.
48)Sometimes the best adventure is figuring out how public transportation works.
49)I wish I could claim every nap I refused as a child.
50)If you can speak English you can teach English.
51)If 2 gringos order soymilk in their coffee, the cashier thinks it’s safe to assume all gringos want soy milk.
52)Walmart jeans are sewn with itchy thread.
53)I love travel days. All I have to do is sit on a plane or a bus and listen to music for hours and take naps.
54)In many countries it’s okay to teach religion in school. In fact some schools require it.
55)Sometimes just being there is enough. I may feel useless or like there is nothing to do, but my presence is a present.
56)If you fall asleep in church just pretend you were praying.
57)You don’t actually have to kiss people on the cheek.
58)Lider is another store owned by Walmart. The prices aren’t that low though.
59)There are Snickers bars everywhere. I can stop acting like every one I see will be the last one I come across on the Race. Therefore, I have concluded that I can stop eating Snickers when I’m not even craving chocolate.
60)Training camp prepared me for life with out coffee. What a sad life that would be. However, I learned that in Central America coffee is a priority. Yay! Coffee breaks everyday!
61)As long as I have a few different colored pens I can pretend I’ve remembered to write in my journal everyday.
62)Raisins taste like candy after a week of not eating sugar.
63)”It’s the World Race” is an excuse that can be used for anything, from eating food that fell on the ground to justifying not doing laundry, to laughing at yourself for doing things the hard way.
64)Embracing the culture can be hard, especially when the culture eating schedule is different. Like skipping breakfast and having a small dinner of mostly bread at 8pm.
65)Adult coloring books never get old. Even children’s coloring books are pretty decent.
66)Chikun gunya is not a delicious sounding soup.
67)Everyone has a lot of grace for large groups of North Americans. Often times people are very accommodating and help us even when we’re standing in the wrong line.
68)Fanny packs are in. For real, it’s better to have a fanny pack than awkwardly hug your purse and have no free arms to open doors.
69)Rainbow is not a color, it’s a noun not an adjective.
70)Reading a book is a thing I’m actually doing as a form of entertainment.
71)Check your vomit bag for holes before using it.
72)Copa airlines baggage weight limit is a whopping 70lbs. I bet the free table would have been more sparse of our squad knew this ahead of time.
73)Remember, it’s best to eat all your snacks before travel day. The airline doesn’t weigh you, they weigh your luggage.
74)Granola is a thing that can be made in the microwave.
75)Laying in a hammock can cause serious injury but sledding down an active volcano is totally sane and low risk.
76)I’m pretty sure using a dryer for your laundry isn’t a thing in most other countries.
77)The scary zombie closet at ministry is a great place to have some alone time with the guarantee of no one else bothering you.
78)Lights out at 10 really means turn off the lights but feel free to make a snack and start new conversations in the dark.
79)Debrief is code for low budget vacation with a devotional every night.
80)It’s acceptable to cry on an airplane for 20 minutes if you just watched The Notebook for the first time
81)Books are heavy
82)Airports sell the best souvenirs but not at the best price
83)Youth group can mean ages 13-30. Who know I was still a youth?
84)Don’t actually shout things from the rooftop. The neighbors will worry and shout back at you.
85)Quiet time means staying up until 2am or waking up before 5am.
86)$4 peanutbutter is a great find. Buy all of it.
87)Rain is a good reason to make sopapillas.
88)The snack stand at school is a great place to buy sopapillas.
89)Sometimes ministry looks looks unwrapping the leftover Christmas gifts from last year. Yeah, Christmas in April.
90)The flashlight on my iPod with a bottle of water set on top creates a beautiful ambient light, like a makeshift lantern.
91)It’s okay to wear the same sweater everyday for a month. I look good in burgundy.
92)Try not to get tangled in your bedsheets if you sleep on the top bunk.
93)Tiny earthquakes in the middle of the night made me realize I should sleep in more appropriate pajamas.
94)Headlamps are practically night time hair accessories.
95)Sometimes the stinky smell is the garbage and sometimes its me from sitting in the same spot the garbage bag leaked.
96)I know I had a productive journaling time is my tea goes cold before I finish it.
97)”Selfie” in Spanish is “selfie”.
98)Chicken sushi is a real thing.
99)Friendship bracelets take hours upon hours to make.
100)Writing blogs is hard.
