The summer before my senior year, I traveled to San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala with a few of my classmates for a mission trip. It was an incredibly eye-opening and perspective altering experience. If you're like me, here's what you noticed that you're missing (or will miss, if you are reading this because you are about to go abroad!) about your mission trip to a developing nation.

1. Being disconnected from technology

If you're like me and my group, we were not allowed to bring our cell phones. Not to mention, it would have been super expensive to sneak a phone with you considering you'd be using your phone internationally. Surprisingly, not even the students among us who could afford it brought one. After a day or so, you realize that you don't really miss it. It allowed us to really experience our fellow mission members, and the country itself. We had cameras, but it doesn't even begin to compare to the distraction of a cell phone. I recommend bringing a camera.

2. The culture

Many people enjoy experiencing new things. I am one of them, and you probably are too. Going to Guatemala was exciting for me because I love seeing and trying new things everywhere I go, whether it's another state or a first trip to another country. My group was in an exceptionally rural area for most of the time, so we didn't get to really try street food and they didn't let us for fear of illness even in the urban areas. We did have locals cooking our meals at our mission location for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it was filling, healthy (or healthier than normal for me), and delicious. When I was walking with my Spanish teacher around the market, I tried two different kinds of "street food": Conchas and a bag of what I believe were cucumbers, radishes, and zucchini with chili powder, Tajin, and lime. (This has a name but I honestly don't remember). It was great, and my adventurous little heart was satisfied. We also got to meet some incredibly sweet locals from around the area while we were doing missions near them. When we visited the markets both in San Lucas and Guatemala City, being able to barter was also an incredible learning experience about their culture, and we also got some really nice memorabilia out of it. Everything about Guatemala was different, and I personally loved it and miss it dearly.

3. Being able to practice a foreign language for real

Sure, you can technically practice your foreign language in the classroom, but nothing compares to speaking with the locals and attempting to understand what they're saying even though they talk super fast. I miss practicing my Spanish with native speakers! My favorite (and least favorite) experience with this language barrier was when I was talking to the owner of a tienda who sold me and my French speaking friend two bottles of Coke. She was telling me to please return the bottle but as someone who had never experienced someone truly speaking Spanish to me, I was baffled. We walked away apologetically and learned later what she was telling us from our mission friends. Oops. Also, don't ask for sour cream for tacos at restaurants in Guatemala. They do not have it, and will try everything they can to help you get it, but it doesn't exist down there. Don't try it. Although it was a hassle sometimes to try to speak in a way that was understandable, I miss it, and you might too.

4. The travel aspect.

I know some people aren't like me, but I love traveling. I personally choose flying over a lengthy drive any day, and would choose it over any other method anyway. Many people dislike flying, and I get it, but if you are like me I love it. We flew from Detroit to Fort Lauderdale, and from Fort Lauderdale to Guatemala City. We then took a large van from Guatemala City to San Lucas Tolimán and the same routes back. We even got stuck in Fort Lauderdale's airport for too many hours, but I appreciated it because I got to know some of my classmates in ways I didn't before. I took pictures on every part of this trek, and treasure them still. I would have taken more if I could do it over, and this is a lesson I will take with me for future trips abroad and so should you.

5. The sense of unity

Of course, not everyone can have a great relationship with each other, but I got to know many of the students and teachers on my mission trip like I'd never done before. If you allowed yourself to make the most of your trip and the people on it, you probably did too. Mostly, I got to know my hotel roommate well. We were friends before, but being in the context of sharing a very small room with one too many beds, a bathroom, and a dresser, you get to know not only their personality but their habits. You also get to know everyone better when you are working together to build things (in our cases, houses and stoves). We journaled together every night after we had eaten dinner with everyone and shared what we wrote and felt, which helped to make all of our experiences as enriching as possible. I'd never done this before and it was a little awkward to share with others how you perceive everything at first, but we all got to share and I believe it shaped my experience on the trip. We definitely all got to know each other better, if not just by a little bit.

These are the things I miss the most about my mission trip to Guatemala. I know this may not be relatable to everyone who did a mission trip abroad, but this is definitely what I have missed the most and I hope it's what you miss the most too! All I know is that it instilled an insatiable wanderlust within me, and I am desperate to travel again.