pequeñas cartas

Dear closet back home filled with all of my favorite clothes,
I wanted to bring all of you. Really, I did. But I just didn't have enough room. I thought I could last on 9ish outfits and try to be more minimalistic for once in my life, but it's turning out to be awful. I need/want/must have more of your kind. You better believe I'm going shopping this weekend to fill this void.

Dear little host cousin Maria Louisa,
I am so glad you let me be best friends with your sassy 6 year old self. You will make my next 3 months that much better. Late lunch at your house every Saturday? Sign me up! Also, am I allowed to be obsessed with your name as well as your nickname Malu (Mah-loo)?

do you feel like maybe i'm not wearing make-up in that first picture even though i am and my tired eyes make me look more like 40 instead of 22? cuz i do.

Dear Mexican thunderstorms,
Are you kidding me!? They were 100% serious when they say it floods here. HOLY COW. And so consistent, too! How can you let it be so sunny and hot all day and then suddenly appear at approximately 6:45 PM every night? It's like clockwork, and it's sort of amazing. Keep on keeping on cuz you definitely cool this place down and I love it.

first picture is the very first rain of the season! look at the street! second picture is the next day i actually walked home in it. soaked to the bone and made my host brother capture the moment for me!

Dear American food,
I really miss you. That is all. You know my heart.

Dear Spanish language,
I honestly do want to learn you better and more fluently by the time I'm done here. But you're like really complicated and stuff with all these conjugations. Gimme a break! I'm half Mexican. It should be easier than this!

Dear tacos,
You really know what you're doing, and it's awesome. And please don't be offended when I say I miss American food. It's not you, it's me. But if I could have more of you in a flour variety vs. corn variety, that would be splendid. (I'm on a quest find homemade flour tortillas here and it's way harder than it sounds.)

Dear new iPod shuffle,
You are heaven sent and I really enjoy our time together every morning as I walk to school. Don't let those cat calls and weird stares get you down. We have something special going on and it gets me through the 20 minute commute.

Dear gym membership that I desperately want,
Why are you 700 pesos per month? Really? I mean, really? But, as cheap as I usually am, I will probs be giving into you any day now. These tacos will not conquer me or my booty. Why don't I just go running for free, you ask? Oh I don't know, maybe because that would be the most peculiar thing to do in this city and people would stare even more than they do now! Or what about the part where I hate running for exercise? Gimme those Zumba/Pilates classes your poster advertises!

Dear Jolly Rancher chewies,
You are absolutely impossible to find in America except for a few Target check out lines. And here you're like everywhere. best time of my life. And speaking of Target, I really miss you and your dollar aisle/clearance rack! (shopaholic right here)

Dear BYU,
Please employ me on my year off. I just want to be in Provo with the cool kids having the time of my life. Also, I really miss you and the good times. Except for the homework. I will never miss that. And your mountains! How I miss those beautiful mountains! Oh, and please stop sending me nightmares about missing deadlines and tests, they are so realistic and scary!
p.s. where is my miniature diploma you promised? that's probably the part I was looking forward to most after graduating.

Dear liquid body wash,
You must be related to Jolly Rancher chewies somehow. I can't find you anywhere except for in the tiniest space of one shelf at the Bodega (Walmart) here. Even though my dad specifically said something like, "Of course you can buy body wash in Mexico! Don't you watch Spanish commercials?" as he forced me not to weigh down my luggage with a full bottle of you. Your cousins, bar soap and more bar soap,  are basically taking over and it's not okay.

Dear Spanish branch that we attend every Sunday at 8 AM,
I don't understand a word you say, but I am really loving these hymns we sing in Spanish. I'm sorry that I kinda fell asleep last Sunday during a few talks, but put yourself in my shoes! It takes even more brain power than normal church to stay focused and alert when everything is in another language! I'll be better next time.

we so excited. please note the familiar dividing metal curtain thingy. feels like home to me. and momma! look! it's that adorable vera scripture bag you worked so hard on just for me :) 

Dear Hacienda style host house I'm living in for the next 3 months,

Thank you thank you thank you for being the most perfect sanctuary that I need every night after school. It's like when I'm here I feel like I'm in America. And I love that feeling. And I kinda need that feeling, to balance it all out. This foreign experience is definitely something I've had to adjust to, and living in this gorgeous and colorful place only makes it that much easier. p.s. your owner host family happens to include some of the best people I know, and I adore and love them all to pieces!

Dear BFFLS in America,

Guysssssssssssss! I love you all sooooo much! Thanks for the emails, gchats, fb posts, skyping, and blog stalking that you do to keep me sane. If you don't tell me what Mexican gifts you want me to bring you, I'm just gonna buy you junk. Get on that. Sers. Now. 

Dear Mexican children,

You really are so stinking cute and I love all the things you say to make me laugh. Can we have dinosaur time todos los dias? And can I maybe bring you home to America with me? 

maybe i sound like a crazy person giggling like that, but you should have heard me the first time he did it. why is it the funniest sound i've ever heard? idk! and why is he wearing that romantic arabian shirt instead of his uniform? he wouldn't tell me! no way of knowing! but i totes loveeeeee it!

Love always,

"Teacher Hannah"