thirteendays...

...until i go home. and i'm pretty excited about it. i'm exciting about clean sheets, and a bed that doesn't turn into a bowl when i lay in it. i'm excited to take a shower without the fear of it being cold after two minutes. i'm excited to sleep in, every once in a while. i'm excited to wear something other than jeans and a sopa/poo/barf stained tshirt. i'm excited to do my hair and wear makeup more often than once a month. i'm excited for american food; for chipotle, panda express, chick-fil-a, panera, wendy's, olive garden, and cheezits. i'm excited for cereal. and for milk that actually tastes like milk. i'm excited to eat lettuce and berries without having to boil them first. i'm excited to drink water straight out of the faucet. i'm excited to flush my toilet paper. i'm excited to use my phone; to text and call to my heart's content. i'm excited to see my family and friends. i'm excited to hug and kiss them instead of talking and writing to them. i'm excited for my car. i'm excited to head out on the road without being afraid for my life. i'm excited for speed limits and stop signs that actually get obeyed. i'm excited to speak to people, knowing they understand every word i say. i'm excited to see dogs on leashes and in backyards, instead of digging through garbage cans on the streets. i'm excited for TV; to be able to watch something mindless and entertaining, if that's what i feel like doing. i'm excited to get back in the real world, and back to real life.

but despite all that, i'll miss my home. i'll miss the atmosphere in the house, and all my new sisters. i'll miss staying up way too late playing skipbo and watching movies, just to wake up way too early for shift the next morning. i'll miss betty's cooking and angelita's sweet smile. i'll miss general meetings on tuesday's and dinner all together on sunday's. i'll miss drives to and from shift with pablo. i'll miss singing at the top of my lungs to mix CD's with the girls. i'll miss telling taxi drivers to turn right after the church and that i live in the red house on the corner. i'll miss kayla's yo-yoing and caitlin's yummy treats. i'll miss angela's hugs and macie's terrible spanish. i'll miss abby's unintentional humor and ariel's obsession with taylor swift. i'll miss emily's handwriting and trina's laugh. i'll miss all my babies. i'll miss bathing and dressing them. i'll miss doing their hair, brushing their teeth, and comforting them when they cry. i'll miss morning walks, and pattycake on the patio. i'll even miss wiping their noses, changing their diapers, and putting their socks and shoes on for the 99th time. i'll miss the workers. i'll miss "hola paigecita linda" and "chao chica guapa." i'll miss helping sor with her english homework and patty trying to hook me up with her brother-in-law. i'll miss mariana making fun of my shoes and neomi telling me, "i want to see you naked chica de osso." i'll even miss 13 hour night shifts and sandra's obnoxious songs that i swear even the children hate. but i think what i'll miss more than anything about life in ecuador is the feelings i got, the strength of my testimony, and the miracles i saw every day for three months as i served the Lord and his children. my heart will forever be with the children and people of quito, ecuador.