"Mission Weird"

(With my family at the airport)

So I always thought it was funny when people were “mission-weird” after returning home from missions. I laughed at my sisters funny quirks that continued to follow her for several months after she got back. I always said that I would never be one of those mission weird people. How could I have ever guessed I would be the most mission weird person ever!

This realization came to me last week when I was in Wal-Mart. I had been home about two weeks at that point, and needed to get something from there. So I worked until late, and then went to get it, arriving at about 10:30 pm. As I was walking in I had the strangest, most guilty feeling. I was in a store, at night, alone. Everything in me said “RUN HOME! QUICK!” However I reminded myself this was not the Holy Ghost warning me of danger, but the missionary manual still ringing in my head, saying that you must be home by 9:30, and never be alone. I quickly made my purchase before running back to my car and returing home, where I immediately felt better and really had a good laugh at myself.

So this experience led me to write my list of the . . .

Top 10 Signs that you are a Newly Returned Missionary

(some of these only work if you went to Brazil, but oh well!)

10. You feel guilty if you are out of your house after 9:30.

9. Your friends and family laughs at how you now say ‘win’ ‘window’ and ‘winter’.

8. You constantly have to stop yourself from running after people in the street to give them a pass-along-card.

7. You often try to tell your companion (who should be walking next to you) somthing, only to find no one there, and that you are all alone. (The worst is when you start talking BEFORE this realization hits)

6. You constantly have to remind yourself to flush used toilet paper, and not throw it away.

5. Each time you go to introduce yourself to someone new you say “Hi! I’m Sister . . . errr, I mean, Katie . . .”

4. You dream about beans and rice (black beans. . .YUM!)

3. Words like ‘oi!’ ‘entao’, ‘e aì’ and ‘Obrigada’ have joined your English vocabulary which you suddenly can’t speak very well.

2. You avoid cute boys at all costs.

1. You freak out at least 5 times a day when you realize that you aren’t wearing your name tag! (This realization is usually preceded by making a grabbing motion at the left side of your chest)

So there it is. I have done each of these things, and several more I am sure! I had an awesome time in Brazil, and met so many wonderful people. I miss it like crazy, but it is good to be home.