As of today we have officially been back in Mozambique 7 months! I thought it would be fun to share some of the ways I can tell I have lived here long enough. Long enough for me to be a little changed, long enough for my choices to be a little different and long enough to start to feel like this is home.
You have lived in Mozambique long enough if:
-You make your own brown sugar from white sugar and maple flavoring.
-You get bored on long, smooth stretches of roadway because you're not dodging pot holes.
-You hide away and save a bag of M&M's your friends send from the states and then when you finally pull them out to bake with decide it is too extravagant to use a whole bag like the cookie recipe calls for because you would rather be able to do this again sometime, in a few more months of course.
- You don't crack your eggs directly into a bowl with other ingredients but in a separate container because you're not quite sure what you might find or how long that egg has been sitting around.
-You are not worried about being punctual anymore because even when you are late your always one of the first to arrive somewhere.
- You can't remember what kind of containers juice or soda comes in back in the US anymore.
- You can't imagine why you always used your dryer even on warm, sunny days.
- You think you actually would much rather go to the open air fresh fruit and veggie market than take your chances of old stuff at a Walmart.
- You don't think it is odd to be in a room where there are at least two languages being spoken at all times.
- You discover you are quite a good from scratch baker which you never knew before with all quick mixes.
- You are saddened by the lost art of written letters that you now notice because you hardly ever get any (hint, hint).
- You don't think it is odd to have to visit 3-4 different shops to buy your groceries.
- You can't imagine enjoying prepackaged sliced loaf bread after eating fresh out of the oven bread just about everyday.
- You are thinking "Yep, we've been here long enough it's time to treat our family for worms."