I was told before I left for Ecuador by a, 1, Crystal D. that the month of October would happen and I would not like it. Eventually during this month, the majority of my companions and myself would start to miss things from back home, get frustrated because it wouldn't seem like we would be advancing that much with our language abilities, and pretty much tired all around in general.
Well I know a couple people that this "October Effect" has already hit relatively hard, and see it happening to myself as well. I was walking down the street last week and smelled autumn; I don't know if it was the combined smells of street food, ecuadorians, and car exhaust or what...but I remembered auburned maple leaves lying across the lawns at messiah college, the onset of snow and calm in the air, and big puffy jackets adorned by the masses. It made me want to go home and drink hot chocolate. But then a honking taxi was quick to pull me out of my daze and encourage me to stop standing in the street.
I am excited to go home, I can't deny that. But at the same time I have a lot to look foward to in the next 2.5 months. There will be trips to islands, waterfalls, and maybe even canyons, relationships to fortify, and hundreds upon hundreds of photographs to take. The thing that I'm more worried about is when the December Effect takes hold, and I won't want to leave. I hope you are all doing well and feel more and more loved each day. Go buy someone a cookie.
