Classes and Adventures

This week has been a very fast-paced week where we're always doing something or going somewhere. My host family has also had a lot of family and friends drop by which has been great. Although I don't always understand the rapid Spanish dialogue, I feel comfortable around all the new people I'm meeting. Ecuadorian people are so welcoming and want to get to know you and make you feel right at home. We've met several family members and some neighbors of our host family. Our neighborhood is a gated community in the valley and it's so cute. It has some great views too!

Here is a view of some of the mountains of Quito from my street in my neighborhood.

Besides all the socializing I've been doing this week, I also had lots of school things going on. On Monday and Tuesday we had orientations, one specific to the GAIAS Program through Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) and one general exchange student orientation. They told us a lot about Ecuadorian culture, history, and USFQ itself. We also were made very aware of all the dangers that can arise while in Quito.

On Wednesday we started class, which has been long and moving rapidly through the material due to the condensed format. Overall, classes have been pretty good though including the intermediate conversational Spanish class. This class has helped me to learn new words and grammar and review some grammar points that may be a little fuzzy.

We have a 2 hour break between classes, so we usually use it to go get lunch or walk around the mall.

I got this burrito crepe for lunch the other day from a crepe restaurant on campus. It was so good! Also since we have meal cards worth $5 each every day this week, this burrito and Snapple in the background only cost me like $2.

Today I'm finally getting to relax a bit, which has been wonderful. I napped for 3 hours and woke up to my host mom cooking dinner. Tonight we had Italian style pasta and shrimp; it was amazing! Despite all the relaxing today, I do have homework and a busy weekend planned.

Tomorrow we are going to Aguas Termales de Papallacta. They are natural hot springs about an hour away from Cumbaya.

Currently, I live in one of the valleys of Quito so this is a good representation of where we will be adventuring to tomorrow.

Then on Sunday my host parents are taking us to Cotopaxi. Cotopaxi is one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world and is the second tallest summit in Ecuador.

Cotopaxi

 I also have to start thinking about what I'm going to pack for our field trip to the coast. We will be traveling by bus and staying in hotels for our trip. Our bus ride will be 10 hours long just to get to the coast, which I'm not looking forward to. I get motion sick sometimes when I'm riding on buses, so Dramamine will definitely come in handy for this 7 day long adventure.

Chau for now

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