Halfway Point

Another post I meant to upload a few weeks ago...woops. My halfway point was January 21st. I return home on June 21st. 

I am starting to understand four things more and more. 

The first is that I will never be able to wrap my head around how time can’t actually slow down or speed up, but how it's just playing tricks with my mind. I am now at my halfway mark wondering what happened because I just left home and yet I don’t have much longer to go. 

The second is that now I know when I’m leaving and I can see the end, and it is all very bittersweet. I’m excited because at times I miss home but sad because I know how much I’ll miss Ecuador and the family and friends I've made here. From the starting line, 10 months in another country seems insanely long. But here I am at the halfway point and I realize just how short 10 months is and how much can change in this short period of time. 

The third is how much any exchange student needs to appreciate these ten months before they are gone and they find themselves back home with regrets because they didn't try a certain food or didn't spend more time with their host family or avoided getting really into the culture. You have to be brave...exchange is not the time to be indecisive about what to do. It is a time to learn and experience everything you possibly can. Your time in this country is short, so enjoy it now because you don't want your memories of exchange to be another bedroom instead of another country.

And the fourth is how important it is to stay positive. I’ve found that the more I seek the positives in my life, the more positive results I get. It is all about having an open mind and a positive outlook in order to get through the rough spots on exchange and fully enjoy the good spots. It is good to remember that a little change never hurts and trying new things won’t kill you (hopefully). 

Happy halfway through exchange!