so not the same.

366 days ago I woke up for the first time in Quito, Ecuador. 

Honestly, I can't believe it's been a year. I started one of the biggest adventures of my life scared, anxious and kind of at a weird place in my college career. I came back with an ability to habla, a new love for diverse peoples of the world and a deeper understanding of what life is all about. (here's a blog post from this day last year http://lizhitsecuador.blogspot.com/2011/01/when-in-quito.html. Not my finest work, but the rest of the blog was less crappy, read that too!)

I'm pretty this pictures was taken around this day last year-

These weirdos became my family while I was in Quito. So much togetherness. I miss them a more than i'm comfortable admitting. Just a lil context.... starting from behind me we have Alyse, Ben, Stacy, Sharon, Chelsea, Megan and Caleb. 

In true LB fashion, when life calls for real reflection or emotion, I make lists instead of full sentences. 

Things I miss about Ecuador... 

1. The people (the other SAers, Chelsey, Chirsty & Bryan, Matt & Marlo, all of the Youth World people, my host family, the kids at the orphanage, my Ecua friends- Joes Luis, Mario, Guz y Vero, Mika, Roberto, Joe, The Cuban (even the cuban with the uni!), i could go on and on....)

2. The language (I learned how to talk with passion, I learned to speak but really say nothing at all, I learned to never say no, I learned that yo soy una aninada, but it's whatever.)
3. The food- ALMUERZOS.

4. The dependable mountain weather. (well, the mountains too)

5. The trole, the sights of Quito on the way to class
6. Cultural weirdness

7. Santa Maria market y Inyaquito open air produce market 

8. that apartment on Villalengua the cold floors, cold water and warm laughter.
9. the bus

10. Hugs from Lilli every  morning
11. Walking every where
12. Pan de Vida y the orphanage

13. having a new adventure every day.
14. Cafe con leche y pancitos en las mananas. 

The real things I miss are completely intangible, its all familiar smells and bus stops. I learned who I was in that beautiful city, I learned that out of my own context here, I still exist. I learned that the world is a big, big place- but that people are, well, people.  I hope with all my ability to hope that I can go back one day. I might get weird and cry about it if the opportunity does arise. 

So that's it. I left pieces of my heart in Quito, it was the wildest adventure I've gone on thus far, and I think it was one of the best ideas God's ever had for my life. : ) 

Pinchincha in the background, Santa maria market next store to
Inyaquito.