No PlAce LikE hOmE!

Traveling home for the holidays: 4 hours on bus from Manta to Guayaquil, 4 hours on a plane from Guayaquil to Miami, 6 hours in the Miami airport, 2 hours from Miami to Richmond, Virginia, and 2 hours from Richmond to Waynesboro, Virginia. 


All well worth it.


It's great to be home, different, but great. The first thing I did when I got home was take a 45 minute, steaming, hot shower. It was amazing. I slept in my comfy bed. I realized the noise level. Zero. It's so quiet. The silence is hard to get use to again. There are no sirens, dogs, people, music, fireworks-nothing. I slept throughout the night.

The "No Spanish" speaking is getting to me as well. I was in the grocery store and never thought I couldn't think of a word in English but only in Spanish. The first restaurant I ate at was a Mexican Plaza, of course. 


I was nervous to return home for a short amount of time. It's hard enough to adjust to a new culture but even more difficult to re-adjust to your culture and having to adjust back to your new one.


One thing that has been hard to get use to is the weather! I haven't felt this cold weather in months. Seeing frost on the cars in the morning and wearing hats & gloves-it has made me realize that I definitely belong in a tropical atmosphere.

I have missed the mountains. There is no place like home. 


And lastly, my family. It was an incredible feeling to hold my family in my arms again and not have to see and talk to them online. I'm scared to say goodbye again. My family is my life.


I have 2 weeks at home. I will sure live it up to the fullest for I will not be home again until next August. 


As much as I love being home...I sure do enjoy Manta as well and miss the warm weather, my students, friends, and of course the beaches. 

Until Manta again my friends...