This is my final week of teaching here in Cuenca. It's the terminus of another ten-week cycle after which I'll say good bye to my students. But not only to my students, but also to many friends I made here in Cuenca. It's a weird feeling.

Over the past couple of weeks I used every single time slot to travel to each corner of Ecuador that was on my ever-lasting list of places-to-visit. I was counting the weekends in order to mostly fulfill my travel desires. I enjoyed Ecuador in all of its varieties. I went to Montañita to enjoy the beach and visited the city of Baños, famous for its thermal springs and outdoor extreme sports such as rafting, mountainbiking and canopying. I rode the Nariz de Diablo, the crazy 'Devil's Nose' train, an unforgettable experience. And last weekend I climbed parts of Cotopaxi volcano to the snowy altitude of 4800 m, which is as high as the Mont Blanc, Europe's tallest mountain!

But I wasn't just rushing through. I also took the time to enjoy Cuenca, go out with friends, hang out and relax in the park. I improved my Spanish (references on request) thanks to the time I spent with many local friends I made here. Being in Cuenca I spent my time like being at home. Every time I leave Cuenca I encounter new things and meet interesting new or - which is often the case - the same people I have met before. That's a funny thing, it's a small world. Every time I get back to Cuenca, see the magnificent domes of the cathedral and its pretty colonial streets I feel like being home. Now I'm about to leave that home.

On December 28 of last year I woke up on an early winter morning to leave my home. I grabbed my backpack, made my way through the snow heading the airport, towards Ecuador. Now, almost six months later,l'histoire se répète. I'm touching the snow again. I'm packing my bag. About to leave my second home. Just a few more days.

PS: to everyone wondering: I'm going to Perú next week! From there, I'll continue my itinerary through South America.