Thomas Umstattd Jr.

Things I miss about Ecuador:

• The cheap food.
• The beautiful scenery
• The “I’m in the southern hemisphere feeling.”
• The mountains
• The clouds
• The excuse not to carry a cell phone.
• The flowers
• The people
• The taxies – no really, taking a cab is fun.

Things I don’t miss about Ecuador:

• The bacteria.
• The trash everywhere.
• The internet “connection.”
• Single ply toilet paper.
• The lack of modesty in advertisements…. and I thought we had it bad in the States…
• The feeling of powerlessness to effect change.

Things I appreciate more now that I’m back:

• Talking to strangers – You don’t know how often you need to until you can’t.
• Drinking Fountains – They don’t exist when no one can drink the water.
• Tap Water – I think I will glare intensely at the next person who complains about American water. I have been thirsty for the last week trying to find bottles of water.
• Naps – Siestas are a wonderful tradition that need to go farther south.
• Debit card machines – going cash only is the pits for a high tech guy like me. No electronic “paper trail” and keeping track of coins is inconvenient.
• Grace Chambers – Sometimes you don’t realize how amazing someone is until you can’t see them for a couple weeks.

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