the LAST thing I thought I was going to learn in Ecuador

(The only reason I'm writing this is because it might be of SOME help to someone out there. Blogging about personal feelings/thoughts is super weird to me, please don't get used to me doing it haha)

(PS this is kind of centered around marriage and family, which I realize some people hear wayyy more of than what they'd like to, so if you're one of those people, I'm not judging you go watch cat videos instead I personally think they're hilarious and WAY more entertaining than people's thoughts)

Bueno

I'm here in Quito, Ecuador, working as an intern for the dream internship of all internships. Like, I honestly could not have thought of a better internship myself. 

Side note, this stuff happens to me all the time! Not in a braggy way, but in a "what is my life" and a "whyyyy am I so blessed" kind of way. Sometimes I feel that I'm part of some sort of weird elaborate experiment where everything dope that could happen to you happens to you and the results are still inconclusive to the controller so he just keeps laying on the dopeness and I'm just aight sweet thanks

anyways

I'm doing this dream internship and I thought coming here was going to be the best thing ever because included in the internship was 

• traveling the world, 
• being super independent,
• studying abroad, 
• and working in foreign countries. 

The most ULTIMATE package ever, right?

NOPE.

FREAKING, 

NOPE.

The biggest lesson I've learned down here? 

Marriage and family are the most important things. Period. 

To make it more clear, my thoughts before coming here regarding marriage/family went like this:

"I know getting married and starting a family are good things, and they sound fantastic, but give me some time- don’t know if I’m ready for that. And when I get married, I definitely want to take my time before kids and travel the world and stuff.” 

And now? Now that I’m actually “traveling the world and stuff?” Now I say: 

FORGET TRAVELING, MAN!! 

I want a family! I want a wife and I want to be an awesome husband and I want little niños!!! 

Yeah, weird, I know, how is that the big-takeaway from my travels. 

I don't know how this all happened either- maybe it's been my studies here (scriptural AND academic), the examples of amazing Ecuadorian families focusing on what's really important, watching romantic comedies, or complete cultural subversion. Who knows. Or, maybe I've snapped and this is all bananas.

It's funny, because my church teaches this stuff. It's actually a fundamental principle of our doctrine - marriage and family, that is- it's sanctity and their roles in our eternal whatever. Happiness. Joy, EVERYTHING

And God sent me alllllll the way to Ecuador to figure that out! (Hopefully to do some other stuff too.) He knew that I knew this stuff, but he also knew I didn't want it as much as I should have. To the point where traveling and getting smarter were bigger priorities to me. 

I consider God to be my Heavenly Father, and a very patient and loving one at that. This trip has been ample evidence of that.

I've done some pretty cool stuff so far, but I get the vibe that God knows what is absolutely most important for me, and that he's nudging me in the right direction. He can do the same for you, too.

Sorry for no pictures, my phone got robbed by a couple punks. I hope they open up my bible app and read about how evil stealing is and feel SUPER BAD ABOUT THEIR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND SPECIFICALLY ME

hope this helps! Stay sweet and faithful.

Scott