Hola from Lumbisi!

Hola from Lumbisi!

As I prepared to leave for Ecuador, packing was the hardest part! The luggage weight restriction for my flight was 50 lbs. I didn't know how I was going to pack for 4 months and many different climates with only 50 lbs. of luggage. I also had to pack my own snorkel gear and books. However, somehow I managed to pack using a large suitcase, hiking backpack as a carry-on, and my school back pack as a personal item. It was a bit tiring to carry through the airport though. I will also have to lighten my suitcase because to fly to the Galapagos, there is a 44 lb. weight limit.

When I got to the airport, I was pretty stressed out because this was my first time flying as an adult and I was a bit flustered going through security. Also, my first flight was delayed for a half hour and I was worried about missing my connecting flight in Atlanta. I made it on the second flight which had a lot of turbulence; I felt motion sick on both flights with the second being the worst. However, once we landed in Ecuador I was more stressed going through customs and collecting my baggage, which ended up being completely fine. My host family was there to greet me at the airport and take me home.

My host family is great! I have a host mom and host dad; all of their 3 children are studying abroad in other countries. They have 2 dogs and a tortoise in the back yard. I am also staying with another girl from CMU. We've been to the shopping malls, the university, and to the historical parts of Quito. Now that I've been in Lumbisi, in the valley of Tumbaco, outside of Quito for 4 days I feel like I've been here for a month. My Spanish isn't great, but I can normally communicate with my host parents and Ecuadorians and I'm improving every day.

Here is a view of the street from a bridge near USFQ. The rights of the road aren't always clear here in Ecuador, but the areas surrounding Quito have some very new highways and I never feel unsafe when riding anywhere. Ecuadorians are very "go with the flow" about driving, punctuality, and making plans. It's great for me to experience this other way of thinking because I'm normally a planner and a very organized, so it's helping me to be more flexible.

This is the front of La Isglesia de San Francisco.

This has been a tiring but eye opening few days and I will try to update this blog more frequently with more pictures in the upcoming days. I start classes tomorrow; wish me luck!

Chau for now