you know you're in america, when...

1. there are more MLB hats than soccer jerseys
2. Starbucks is the first sight you see as you step off the plane
3. Kelly Clarkson's A Moment Like This is on the radio
4. the majority of people are over 5 feet tall
5. flushing toilet paper down the toilet is allowed
6. the national homeland security level is at orange
7. you mistaken every man with a mustache as Randy Gruendyke
8. meals without rice are complete
9. you fly through customs because you're white
10. men dedicated to protecting America get a standing 'O' before boarding the plan
11. a smoothie costs $5 (and it wasn't made in your mom's juicer or with fresh fruit)
12. you talk in Spanish but get a response in English
13. people coming back from South Africa are still proud of the U.S.A.
14. you have to search for a TV playing the World Cup
15. you see fat people consistently
16. your gringo-ness does not call special attention to you (that previously resulted in whistling and/or staring)
17. your Spanish-to-English pocket dictionary is at the bottom of your bags
18. Jason eats the pork
19. there is a drinking fountain with pure, drinkable water
20. you feel right at home

As we landed in Atlanta and spent time hunting and gathering to fill our materialistic needs (peep the picture below), Jon had the ingenious idea of coming up with this list. Needless to say, we got a kick out of it. If you didn't find the list that entertaining, don't worry your little self. Our laughter may have been accredited to: traveling for 24 hours straight (some not sleeping a wink), spending hours on end in the airport, and/or being filled with giddy because a two hour plane ride was the only thing separating us from home ...ANDDDD for any additional problems that were not covered in those three excuses, I blame it on the s-s-s-s-southern hemisphere. The southern hemisphere excuse covers any and all problems just as a-a-a-a-alcohol does for Jamie Foxx.

Cell phone on? Check. $5 Smoothie? Check. Starbucks? OF COURSE. People mag? Check.

mission accomplished

bidding Ecuador a fond farewell via our last bus ride

some favorites

my familia!

Well, it's been a few days since we returned to the States, nestled back into the luxuries of life, put on clean clothes (ahem, Kayla), and adjusted back to the English language. (It's almost scary how easily and naturally all of that came! ...not to say that we're not missing Ecuador, of course!) Everything we were wanting and 'needing' is now at our fingertips and if not, it's only a hop, skip, and a jump away. Laura is slowly checking off each line on her seemingly never-ending "to do" list, and I'm just beginning to realize how expensive it will be to ship my familia a simple box of chocolates. Life in Ecuador, as we know it, is no longer, but let's just say, the Summer 2010 Ecuador group left its mark, and Cuenca will never, never be the same!