We are back in the swing of things here at USFQ! After a much needed and beautiful spring break adventure, school is back in full swing. The past two weeks have been getting back into a rhythm, but with a change in perspective. Over the past week, I have finished up midterms and have begun to get a glimpse of what the second half of my time abroad will entail.
This week marked exactly 2 months until I come home! In some ways that practically feels like tomorrow, while in other ways, I feel overwhelmed by all that has yet to happen. This mid-term week provided time to reflect. Through IES, I was encouraged to discuss the things that have gone well so far with my classes, my host family, and simply living in the Ecuadorian culture. Of course, we were then asked to specify changes we would like to see for the second half of this journey in regards to each of these areas.
Reflecting is one way for me to decompress, and also to look forward in hope. In the midst of the daily joys and trials, I often lose perspective of the bigger picture of my ‘why’ for being in Ecuador. Crossing the halfway point was almost like a flip of a switch for me; a night and day difference of mentality. May no longer sounds so daunting, and 4.5 months in another country is beginning to feel like such a small component of life’s journey. Having only 2 months to go fills my heart with gratitude for the growth that has already sprouted within me. I’m even more excited to see what that little sprout looks like in 2 more months.
What a difference the changing of a month can make! What I mean by that is, how good it felt when January turned into February and when February turned into March. Each month is one step closer of achieving a goal, growing through an experience, and living differently which has encouraged me to keep pressing into my time in Ecuador. These month changes feel a bit different now as April approaches; as the end begins to feel more real. May didn’t really feel like it would ever come in January or February, but now I know it is just around the corner. I have destinations on my bucket list and final projects in classes to complete all before mid-May, and oh how I’ve realized that it will be here in the blink of an eye.
I am grateful for a time of reflection over the past two weeks, an encouraged and refreshed mind, and hope for the opportunities yet to come in my final 2 months abroad! Praise be to God for His faithfulness, and making beauty out of ashes, the ashes where my mind began my journey abroad.