home again.

I'm back in the States. My wonderful semester is over. I'm very happy to see my friends and family, but I'm very sad that I've left Ecuador.

I find that things are strange now that I've returned. My perspective is much different now, and I often find myself overwhelmed. For example, I found myself dumbfounded when I handed my passport over the counter upon my arrival in Miami and the agent spoke to me in English. I was fully prepared to speak Spanish, and when English words fell out of his mouth, I just stood there with my mouth agape. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to respond.

But that's all just a part of dealing with coming back, right?

Thanks to everyone who read this blog. Thanks to everyone who prayed for me. I've returned home safely, and I am very grateful for the experience that I had.

things i will miss.

• Amor.
  
• breaking curfew.
• the Colombians.
  
• Cumbia/Salsa/Mapalé dancing.
  
• football.
• living in the clouds.
  
• Lucy.
  
• my mountain.
• Napo.
• Panny Pan.
• Rachel's convulsive excitement.
  
• Riobamba.
• the Seminary babies.
• "Sin drogas es mejor."
  
• speaking Spanish.
• Sunday night Papa John's with NILI.
  

things i won't miss.

• amoebas.
• chicken feet soup.
• chigger/mosquito bites.
• Cholito.
  
• daily downpours.
• "Hey, baby..."
• men peeing in public.
• moths in my bedroom.
• rice for every meal.
• "Sábado. Día santo. Guárdalo."
  
• the Sprinter horn.
• throwing toilet paper in the trashcan.
  
• way too honest comments.
• women breastfeeding in public.
  

rafting.

Yesterday we hiked along a trail through the jungle, crossing rivers, covering ourselves in mud masks and swinging on vines. We saw the world's largest fresh water fish and swam beneath a waterfall. We visited a Quechua tribe and watched another traditional dance.

Today we finally rafted down the Pastaza River. I would hardly call it white water rafting - the water was so dirty brown. It was pretty cool though. Except when I fell in. That was pretty scary.

I also have pink eye. That made the rafting experience a little blurrier. I had to throw out my infected contacts, and I can't put new ones in for a few days. And I'm glad I didn't wear my glasses today. They would have been lost forever when I got tossed out and run over by our raft.

Tomorrow we're mountain biking before we head back to Quito.

I'll be home in four days.

Photo albums:
jungle book.
i love lucy fiesta.
cumpleaños.
my future wedding locale.

a day to remember.

Today we flew out over the jungle in a tiny little plane with a missionary pilot (from Fort Wayne - holler!) and landed in a Huaorani village (part of the same people that killed the five missionaries in the 50s). They led us through the jungle to a traditional house, painted our faces with some red plant and put bands around our heads. We practiced throwing spears and using blowguns (I was unsuccessful with the spear and successful with the blowgun.). Then the women of the tribe performed a dance and sang for us. They made Jacki and me participate, and afterwards the men performed, and then everyone was dancing. Somehow Ben was forced to marry one of the indigenous girls, and I was forced to marry a little indigenous boy (For those of you who told me not to come back from Ecuador married, I'm sorry - I was forced against my will to marry a little boy half my height today.)

I was smiling and laughing all day. I couldn't believe I was experiencing what I was. It made my day when an old indigenous women put a grass headband on my head. And the dancing. And the singing. And the marrying.

The flight back was just before sunset, and the skyline was beautiful. We were just above the lowest clouds above the jungle top. Ahead of us were two volcanoes (Tungarahua and Sungay) both spewing ash. It was a breathtaking view.

Today was by far the best day of my entire semester in Ecuador.

17 days.

We only have seventeen days left in this country. We'll be spending six of those days in the jungle. I'm really excited to go there - we have a lot of really cool things planned: we're mountain biking, canoing, white water rafting, touring the Amazon in airplane, and visiting the Shwar tribe. It very well might be the best trip of the semester, but when we get back, we only have two days before we leave this beautiful country.

I'm ready to come home and return to my life. I'm not homesick at all, but I'm ready to see my friends and family. I'm ready for my last summer before I graduate. I'm ready to stop eating rice for every meal. Though I'm ready to go, I'm completely unprepared to part from this place. I've fallen in love with Ecuador. I've made such good friends, and I can hardly bear the thought of leaving them behind. Why does parting have to be a part of this process?

I want to cry. We're leaving Ecuador way too soon.

guayaquil.

The hottest week of my life was spent last week in Guayaquil. We went to repaint the Nazarene district center. We got a lot of work done, and I think our ministry was very much needed. We toured the city a little bit too. I liked the city, but it made me love Quito even more.

Latest photo albums:
bien, ¿no?
good friday in quito.
guayaquil a.k.a. inferno.