Surprise! I'm back in the USA!

After a lot of thinking, waiting, meditation exercises and arguing with myself, I've decided to leave Ecuador.

'What? I thought the Peace Corps was a 2 year thing?'
Yea, it's supposed to be.
'Then, why are you back?'
Well... many factors played into my decision to leave but it all boiled down to security and not being able to get comfortable. I'm not talking about having hot water, decent internet, or a bed without bed bugs. Actually, after a few weeks, I didn't even mind the bed bugs. What I'm talking about is not feeling safe. Strikes, road blocks, riots, and an increasing crime scene were among some of the factors. That along with the machismo culture was something I could not handle. I was hoping that either the guys in my community would get used to seeing me around, notice I don't respond to being yelled at, the whistles, hisses, or honks or that I would become immune to it and it wouldn't bother me after a while. Neither happened and instead of me getting used to it, it only bothered me more. I found myself turning into a person I did not want to be; being constantly pissed off how the men treated me and the rest of the females in my community. Since I feel I always had to have my guard up, it was impossible for me to feel that I could truly integrate into the culture. I found myself not leaving my house just so I didn't have to deal with all the unwanted attention.

I loved Ecuador. I have no regrets. Sad that I'm home? Nope. Wished it would've worked out differently in Ecuador? I wish that I didn't feel my security was threatened while I was there but am happy with the way things played out. I would not have changed anything. When I look back on the time I spent there, I think about the happy times: spending time with other volunteers during training, the cold and windy (and dusty!) soccer games in La Chimba, walking with my host mother and brothers to milk the cows, being able to visit the afro-ecuadorian community of Mascarillas, the technical trip to Manabi compete with kareoke, chicha and pilsner, trying all the different types of fruit, eating foods (especially random meat) that I thought I would never touch, breathtaking runs, learning how to dance salsa and merengue, relaxing at a hosteria and mountain biking in Vilcabamba with other volunteers from the Loja area, learning how to cook traditional Ecuadorian meals, and of course all the awkward attempts at communication.
These past 5 months have made me appreciate how much I have. Family, friends, skim milk, BBQ sauce. And also how much little I actually need to be happy & healthy. There is so much more about my experiences I have to tell but I feel so overwhelmed by everything. Trying to describe my time in Ecuador in a blog post doesn't work well. Sorry for the randomness of my writing and the lack of sense that it makes. Want to ask some questions and hear some good Ecuadorian stories? I'm always down for grabbing some coffee and chatting it up. Now for a new adventure. I'm currently taking suggestions.