one more week.

One more week.  One more week until homestays are over.  One more week until I can open my bag of pretzel m&ms.  One more week until I am reunited with my housemates.  One more week until I can eat fruit every day.  One more week until I can sleep in Kimmie's bed.  One more week until I can actually show up to my Skype dates with working internet.  One more week until my uphill trek is shortened.  One more week until I can dry my clothes without relying on the sun.  One more week until community dinners start again.  One more week until I can be myself.

Homestays are tough stuff.  Never in my life have I been referred to as "quiet" or "shy" so many times as I have in homestays.  Why?  I guess I'm quiet in Spanish.  It's a lot harder than I thought to relate to people and get to know people when we don't speak the same language.  It's a lot harder than I thought to learn Spanish when it's frustrating and overwhelming.  It's a lot harder than I thought to have to leave my friends each afternoon and walk home.

One more week.  One more week to watch my baby sister's face light up when I walk in the room.  One more week to laugh every time my papí tries to get my mamí and me to watch The Avengers with him.  One more week to spend the long uphill walk lifting up my friends in prayer.  One more week to eat as much popcorn as I can possibly consume with my Ecuafam.  One more week to have family time in the kitchen, washing dishes while the rents give Anita a bath.  One more week to have my own bathroom.  One more week to enjoy my family.

I can't believe this time has gone so fast.  I have such mixed feelings about the next week, but as I lay on my bed thinking about this next week, jammin to some All Sons & Daughters, listening to Anita babble in the next room, stressed about how hard these four weeks have been, I can't help but smile...smile at this challenge, smile at the struggle, smile at the craziness, and smile at the rewards.