United States, I love you, but you're bringing me down.

WODdling soundtrack: Reik, Calle 13, Camila, Aventura

I miss saltenas.
I miss greeting everyone I meet on the street.
I miss South America.
I miss who I am when I speak in Spanish.

Luckily, I am not alone. Yesterday, I went and helped the Spanish branch with a Mutual activity. Hopefully this will be a weekly thing where I can help the ward out, and brush up on my Spanish at the same time. The kids were sweet, and though they are all at different places in life, at different schools, and facing different challenges, they were generally kind to one another. Really, they were great.

My name is the bane of my existence in the latino world as Gretchen is not easily pronounced.
So I was christened "Eli" (Ellie) instead, since Elisabeth is my middle name. And for the rest of the drive from Mutual, I listened to reggaeton.

I've liked the past week or so in Virginia and I keep telling people that I could really settle here. But sometime soon, I hope to get on a plane and not come back for a while.

 I need to go back to my "roots"

I want to go back to Santa Cruz and see the rest of Bolivia

And maybe even go to my on of my best friend's wedding here!

Till then, I will watch this video over and over again, sympathizing with Kermit the Frog.

and then watch this one over and over to pick up my mood.



DOUBLE POPPED COLLAR!
DOUBLE DOUBLE POPPED POPPED COLLAR COLLAR!!

Oh what a world we live in.