Hello everyone, I’m back after a short 2 months!
Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday I said my goodbyes and started on this 8 month journey.
We spent our first 5 weeks studying our Spanish, volunteering and expanding our knowledge about Ecuador.
My time here has been nothing less than exciting from meeting my WONDERFUL Quito family, to discovering Mcdonald’s and Cinnabon, and stumbling upon the discoteca’s in the mariscal (at a reasonable hour).
The day in the Hostel we got our letters about our families I was nervous… actually nervous doesn’t even begin to explain how I felt. While packing everything and saying good bye to my room-mates, Lila came into my room “Your mom is here” she said with a giant smile on her face. As I gathered the rest of my things I held back tears because I was SCARED OUT OF MY MIND! I walked down the hall to finally meet this lady who had been waiting months to meet me. I turned the corner and sitting on the sofa was this little happy lady who greeted me with a huge hug. “Hola hijita” (hello daughter) she said and at that moment let me tell you I forgot every Spanish word every single one from hola to adios. All I could do was smile.
I said my last goodbyes as my new mom and I hopped in the taxi. My mom explained to me that there were two more fellows living in the same building as me. She also told me that she spoke a little English but her daughter was fully bilingual. I thought to myself ‘JACK POT!!!’. We arrived home and hauled my bags up three flights of stairs (the elevation made that task so much harder than usual).
At the door was my sister Marisol, my nephew Luis Antonio, my niece Isabella, and my father Lizardo. That night we had dinner with a lot of conversation. I found out they lived in LA for a year and that’s where my sister learned her English. I also learned my dad had been to Tuscon (a least that’s what I think he said). He was talking and next thing I knew he had a map of Arizona and was pointing at Tuscon. That night I went to sleep with a since of relaxation.
The weeks went by and its safe to say after the first week I began to call Quito home, I was communicating well and having a good time with my friends. Spanish classes were going well and I was learning a lot with the sessions we were having at the University.
At the end of everyday I couldn’t wait to go home to talk to my family and laugh at everything my dad said (I never knew what he was saying but every time he said something he laugh which made me laugh). Everything was going so well!
On top of having a wonderful family and wonderful time, some other Fellows and I discovered that the fast food/junk food here (Mcdonalds, Cinnabun, Oreos and Doritos) was way better than in the US! My explanation for it was it was the closest thing we had to home so it was comfort therefore making it yummier. But in reality who knows maybe it is just better here, we made DAILY trips to down to El Jardin to get our fill of junk food. It was our daily escape from arrozito y sopita y papas y pan con carne or con pollo (rice and rice and potatoes and bread with red meet or chicken) which we had EVERYDAY!. If everyone in Ecuador has not gained at least 15 pounds they haven’t been eating. Rice, potatoes and bread is served with everything, I know when I come home I won’t want to eat another lick of rice that’s for sure. Rice and potatoes I could live with out here but the bread is FANTASTIC! Bread is only 20 cents at the most and its so moist and good mmmmm I love bread. And I LOVE Ecuador!
