You know you are a missionary from Budapest when . . .
1. Your three teenage kids ask for their allowance in three different currencies.
2. You prefer Euros over dollars.
3. You forget the English word for something.
4. Your small kids ask, “Do they have McDonalds in America too?” You think that the McDonalds in Budapest is cleaner and classier than in the USA.
5. You can’t stand to drink American coffee anymore since it is so weak.
6. When away in the USA, you can’t stand to drink US water since you miss inexpensive, carbonated mineral water.
7. When visiting the USA and your family is in a public place you correct your children or talk about sensitive issues in a language other than English.
8. You are shopping at Wal-mart and you don’t trust the unknown lady who makes friendly comments about the merchandise since where you come from you don’t speak to strangers.
9. Your teenage children complain about weird American dress and behavior.
10. You are back in the USA at a restaurant and you understand how difficult life must be for the new immigrant who waits on your table. You understand by personal experience that just because this person talks funny it does not mean he is stupid or uneducated.
11. Your teenage kids can’t wait to go back to the USA to buy certain clothes.
12. Your teenage kids can’t wait to go back to Budapest to buy other clothes.
13. You warn your family about violent crime in the USA.
14. Air-conditioning makes you cold and sick.
15. You remind your kids to follow rules and be on time when in the USA.
16. You cannot stand to eat Twinkies and other junk food anymore since you now can taste the nasty preservatives.
17. When you arrive in the States the US cars seem so big.
18. When you go back to Europe the cars seem so small.
19. The houses and yards in the US seem unnecessarily humongous.
20. Arriving in the USA your son gets off the airplane and says, “Wow the air is cleaner here!”
21. You wonder how anyone can afford to eat and live in the USA.
22. After 3 weeks in the USA you can’t wait to go back to Budapest.
23. You wonder if the volcanic ash from Iceland will postpone your flight.