Five Months and Two Days

I flew out of Frankfurt on June 1.

It's been five months and two days.

Simultaneously the longest and the shortest time period of my life.

I miss Germany every day. I think about all the incredible people I met. I see myself wandering down random streets. I hear the laughter of my companions. I crave the food. I miss it so much.

And at the same time, it seems like the CRAZIEST dream. I lived in Germany for a year and a half? I speak German? I've been to Cologne, Heidelberg, Duesseldorf? I lived in Frankfurt? I met people from all over the world, tried crazy foods, fell in love with a people and a culture, cried when I left?

That last one's true, at least. Flying out of Frankfurt, I'm sitting by the window, Elder Evans on my other side, and we're both staring desperately at the Frankfurt skyline, because we're leaving home behind, and I cried.

I lived in Essen for the first half of my mission.

Spent two-thirds of my remaining time in Kaiserslautern.

Went home from Frankfurt.

Essen, the industrial city, the Ruhrpott, the city I called heaven and claimed as mine the second I stepped foot there.

Kaiserslautern, with the American military presence. all the tiny Dorfs, the castles, the mountains, the town that ran me through the wringer.

Frankfurt, the big city, the business capital, the crowd, the diversity, the city I fell in love with just as I was leaving.

There are so many things I could say, and so many people I should mention. But I just don't even know where to start.

Sister Sant, my angel trainer. Sister Whicker, my soul sister. Sister Tait, my tiny spitfire.
Sister Luymes, the drumbreak. Sister Hall, the refiner.
Sister Griffen, das Vorbild.

Akmal. Steven. William. Emmanuel. Nana. Ugbayas. Palvin. Jane. Lucky. Alexander. Bagawathsings. Farzad.
Nasar. Moustafa. Abubahka. Baha. Toni. Selam. Hewit. Stanke.
Jan. Abigail. Steven. Dave. Eyob. Richard. Moheeb.

Linneman. Neu. Dietz. Dirzus. Tewes. Danilakiis. Curth. Gabriel. Blome. Wieker. Schmidt.
Baader. Cruse. Jenny. Gardner. Hack. Oberlies. 
Johnson. Kearon. Markle. Kirk. Giada. Silva. Santos.

Essen, Dortmund, Oberhausen, Muelheim, Duesseldorf, Herne, Bochum. Ruhrpott Deutsch.
Kaiserlautern, Pirmasens, Heidelberg, Ramstein, Landstuhl, Frankenstein, Neidenfels. Pfaelsisch.
Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Wiesbaden. Hessisch.

I would go back in a heartbeat. Every day was a gift and a blessing, even the ones that were so hard. Every person was a joy. Every rainstorm, green hill, castle, Dorf, Bratwurst, grey day. Every ward I served in. Every member I met.

I love them. I miss them.

It's been five months and two days.