Blessed to Have Walked in Wet Shoes

This has been an unforgettable experience. I have loved so many things about this place, but there have also been things that I miss from home. I miss consistently hot showers, friends, family, but most of all not seeing stray dogs. This has been something that has bothered me since I have gotten here. It is sad to see these innocent animals on the street; to think that someone just abandoned them is hard to fathom. I also miss my family and friends, but I have had the luxury of getting to know a new family and make new friends. The driving here has been different. I can’t say I am going to miss what felt like near-death experiences or the smell of exhaust, but I can say that I will miss other things Ecuador gave me.



Ecuador gave me my first travel experience and gave me a sense of how big the world really is. I have met incredible people in the many places I have been. Ecuador has given me happiness and filled my heart and mind with new experiences. I will miss the smiles I have seen every day from my host family and professors. I will miss eating dinner with my host family and having conversations with them—or at least listening to them, that is. I will miss the music that plays next to my bedroom when Martha is working. Most of all, I will miss being somewhere different. I have had an amazing time site-seeing, meeting new people, trying new foods, and taking our five host-parent’s dogs for a walk. Ecuador taught me to not take things for granted. This was especially taught to me at Neque, but also just walking around on the streets and in the markets. I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have grown up in the U.S. with a great family. I could not be more blessed that I got to walk the streets and trails of this diverse country—even if I was doing it with wet shoes.        

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