Today was laundry day.
Today I washed clothes the “traditional way.”
Today I soaked all the clothes I brought with me to this beautiful country in brightly colored buckets in the hot sunshine of our roof.
Today I bent over a shallow concrete sink much shorter than I for hours scrubbing every minuscule piece of dirt from every fiber of my clothing.
Today, under the watchful eye of my Quitenian mother, I carefully hung my clothes on the line and added to the collage of colors hanging from lines all around me.
Today I missed my chore of laundry back home.
Today I missed the almost blissful hum of the washer and dryer back home.
Today I missed the convenience of having clean and dry clothes within roughly an hour and a half.
But, today I appreciated the simplicity of life here.
Today I experienced the breathtaking view of the city, the mountain, and the two volcanoes that can be seen from the top of our building.
Today I heard the sounds of the city around me paired with my host mother’s occasional humming.
Today I truly felt the smoothness of life in Quito.
Today I felt love for this country since arriving.
Today I felt at home.
Today was laundry day.
