You know you're on month four of HNGR when...

To give you a summary of how things have been lately (and in lieu of a recent email thread that was going between the HNGR women):

You know you're on month four of HNGR when... 

Your host tías (aunts) introduce you to someone as their niece and the person actually believes you're related, despite the blue eyes, pale skin, and freckles.

You start losing patience dealing with all the conflict between the girls at Albergue.

You get frustrated with  English more than with Spanish, for the way it limits your ability to express yourself.

You know it's going to be really hard to leave in just 2.5 months.

Someone tells you they love you.

One of the girls decides you are the culprit for all her problems, and gives you the silent treatment for two days.

You finally give up and agree with your tías that, yes, the reason that you don't want to eat 3,000 calories a day is because you do not want to get fat, and not just because your body does not have the capacity to eat so much.

When you're the only staff member on duty on a Saturday, you lose your temper at the girls, because they lie and don't take your authority seriously.

You're so busy doing things like interviews, teaching, HNGR homework, research, and peeling carrots that there's hardly any time to breathe.

Your to-do list is so long that you almost feel like you're back at Wheaton (though my hand has yet to revert to its notepad form).

You have to say goodbye to other people, but you're the one staying and they're the ones going.

Instant coffee actually seems pretty normal.