Appreciating the Little Things

Throughout this trip it seems as though the differences between cultures appear to put a negative connotation on the culture of Cuenca.  We all have realized what little things we are missing from back home.  Thinking ahead, there are definitely going to be things here that I will miss when I get back home.  Not only will I miss the big parts, like my host family, but many little things that I experience every day.  For example, there is a small, fluffy, white dog that walks down my street every day that I pass when I go home every night and in the mornings.  He doesn´t belong to my family or anyone I know but there is a kind of silent relationship that I´m going to miss.  Coming down the stairs every morning and hearing ¨¿Como amaneciste?¨ and meeting the loving smile of my host mom will be another one of the little things missing from my life in Ohio.  Breakfast is always ready for me, no matter what time I need to leave.  If my mom in Ohio even is out of bed by the time I need to be out of the house it is a special event.  The chances that she is in a good mood that early in the morning are even slimmer.  Probably the biggest thing, though, will be all the time I have to myself.  For now, the time makes me lonely but I have a feeling that when I get back and am inundated with work to do, people to hang out with and holiday happenings I will be desperate for some alone time.  Until its gone, though, I don´t think I will appreciate it.  It will probably turn out to be that way for many things I have here in my Cuencan home but only time will tell what I will truly miss.