I’ve been avoiding thinking about it all day… even when I packed up all my stuff (it fit, just barely… I did the “sit on top of it to zip it up” trick), even when watching Sarita’s Christmas program and thinking my heart might burst out of sheer cuteness of preschoolers dancing & singing Christmas tunes, and even when teaching Grandma Fanny how to make Rice Krispies fifteen minutes before I left the front door. …leaving. I held it together as my host parents drove me the 10 minutes from [...]

I’ve had the day free to do whatever my little heart desires… so I went back to “Basílica del Voto Nacional” to go up to the top towers. The packed bus ride took two transits and nearly an hour, but when it only costs 25 cents, there is no complaining allowed. I got off at the last top and walked up the hill a few blocks to the church. I paid the $2 entrance fee, and then walked up the stairs to the second level. There was a huge, beautiful [...]

Today was great. I taught the third level students {my favorites}. I think I decided that they’re my favorites because I know them the best and even when they don’t behave, they always come through for me to get their work done. We have so much fun. Then all of the students voted for the student government. So after recess ended at 10:45, we basically just all played, listened to music, talked, and enjoyed the sunshine while people voted and then the votes were tallied. Marcelo had me listen to [...]

I can’t even describe how great it was to walk through the front gate of the apartment, up the cement stairs, knock on the door, and be greeted with huge hugs from my 13-year-old host sister and host mom. I’ve missed my Quito family so much. We ate a quick meal at the kitchen table, scrambled to finish the garlic potatoes my mom needed to bring to the Thanksgiving dinner, Grandma Fanny picked us up, and then we picked up Sarita from daycare. Quite frankly, car rides with them may [...]

My experiences here are teaching me so much… especially in the falling apart it seems. Like yesterday, when right as we were leaving the school, the door of the “office” fell off. Really it’s just a room with lots of dust, 14 chairs, 2 paintings and a wimpy desk. But literally the door fell off all three of its hinges and clunked to the ground with a loud, metal ring. I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard! Obviously there aren’t any janitors to come to the rescue, but two [...]

Sunday afternoon we rode 2 hours and 15 minutes away to Ingapirca – the largest known Incan ruins in Ecuador. The most significant building is “The Temple of the Sun.” It’s shaped like an elliptical – the only know ruins of that time in the world to be in that shape… aka. the shape the earth orbits the sun. Those people back then were so darn smart. Not to mention impressive – they built the structures without mortar. The stones were cut to fit together perfectly. Plus, just beyond a [...]

I spent the weekend in Cuenca, in southern Ecuador! I took a bus on Friday afternoon from Cotacachi to Otavalo to Quito… met up there with my friends Colin and Katie, and then we took the overnight bus to Cuenca. I had no problems sleeping on the bus: a reclining chair, the lights off, the dark sky… but then I woke up, saw it was 2:00 a.m. and realized the bus was stopped so looked over at Katie in the seat next to me. “We’ve been parked here for a [...]

I helped out the hired English teacher in the 6/7th grade level today (the grade levels are combined because they don’t have enough teachers)… I thought this was a good, fun activity: the kids cut out advertisements with vocabulary words, and then they described the color of the object. Simple but it sure helped mix up the normalcy! We also had class with the 10th graders. Half of them were gone for another activity today, and the teacher didn’t want to continue teaching something new… so I came up with [...]

I’ve got a smile on my face that may stretch from here all the way to 3,200-some miles home… I love this place. I love that everyday brings a new adventure. I love that I’ve finally gotten to the point where I don’t have to think about what I’m going to say in Spanish before I say it {like translating in my head from English to Spanish}… now I can pretty much just say whatever it is I want to say and have it roll off my tongue… and then after [...]

I spent the day at “Plaza de los Ponchos” in Otavalo. I paid 25 cents for the 25-minute bus ride there and then I met up with a friend in my same program, Molly. Every day of the week there’s an artisan market in Otavalo, but Saturdays are when it’s the largest… the rows upon rows & streets upon streets filled of tents and vendors were never ending. We shopped till we dropped! But we did pause for a delicious, pizza lunch and later in the day for a $1 [...]

Yesterday I went to a kick-butt, awesome aerobics class with my host mom. The music was rockin’ and although I struggled a couple times to follow the rhythms of everyone else, it was an absolute blast. Plus, it felt amazing to just sweat it all out! I walked home with an extra jump in my step and a huge smile on my face… thinking that besides the family and friends back at home that I love so much, I really could just stay here forever. But then I got back [...]

I thought my days of eating guinea pig were over… that is, until dinner today. My host mom motioned for me this afternoon saying, “Ven, ven, hija!” {Come, come, daughter!}. All I knew is that I was going somewhere with them in the pick-up truck. Turns out we were headed a few streets away to pick up dinner… fresh “cuy” (guinea pig). The lady picked out 9 living, breathing, squealing guinea pigs from the pen, put them in a plastic grain sack, and handed them over for $5 a piece. Back [...]

The last weekend with my Quito host family {until the end of the program in December} was awesome. Saturday I followed them along on their errands – the bank, the supermarket, picking up Millie’s Halloween costumer {she was “Blanca Nieves” – aka. Snow White}, and then we spent the remainder of the day at Grandma Fanny’s. I took a nap on the couch, we watched some “telenovelas” (soap-operas), and then made balongna plantain balls. Delicious. Grandma Fanny came to the conclusion that I like anything with plantain. I think she’s [...]

I still remember it like it was yesterday, even if it was three and a half years ago already. Standing in the Taco Bell line in Fort Lauderdale with my mom and family friends… when it hit me. Spring break was over. All the anticipation leading up to the trip, all of the incredible memories, the hot sun, the fun excursions, and the cruise stops in three different countries. And it was over. I balled my eyes out, heaving cries after just a week-long trip. Inevitably, a major breakdown happens [...]

Last night we went back over to my host grandma’s brother’s house for colada morada – a traditional Ecuadorian beverage prepared with black corn flour and fruits like oranges, pineapple, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries. In indigenous communities, the drink is consumed in the cemetery next to the tomb of the deceased relatives to communicate with the spirits of their ancestors. The drink is served with “guaguas de pan” – bread that’s shaped like babies and decorated with icing and filled with jam. I think I would have enjoyed the drink more if it [...]