I’m home—kinda. I am back to the place that I missed so much, but somehow it is not the same when part of my heart is in Ecuador and Sweden and Chicago and California, etc (the homes of all my friends). I am so happy to be back, but so sad to be gone. I wish so much I could have both of my lives together. Coming home is hard because I want to tell you about my year and my other home, but when I am asked “How was Ecuador?” or “What is your craziest memory?” my mind goes blank. I can’t explain the love I have for Ecuador or how hard it is to come back. My answers can’t encompass my whole year and the stories I have are not crazy or shocking–they were my normal. Sometimes I feel like Ecuador never actually happened, and other times I am fully convinced this is all a dream and I will wake up to Sofia and Pedro crying any minute.
I have only been home 2 weeks, and I cannot even put my feelings and thoughts into words, but I miss it, and am so incredibly thankful for it. People have asked me if I am glad that I did it, and I know with my entire heart that the answer is yes. Never will I ever regret it–as cliche as it sounds, it was the best decision I have ever made. The year is over, and still it’s hard. Coming back is hard, finding myself is hard, and accurately sharing my experience is hard, but I would not trade any of it for the world.
To end my Ecuador year and blogs, I wanted to share a video that I made of my year. My video editing skills are definitely sub-par, but these are some of my favorite memories and some of my favorite people in the world. I hope someday my Ecuador world gets to meet my Chapel Hill world. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for following my year–it means so much to me. And, even though my mind goes blank sometimes, I would LOVE to talk about my new home and family and friends to anyone who wants to listen.
Con amor,
Elizabeth Gonzales-Mogrovejo-Ollila
[vc_video link=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTijRjwb7lg’]
