First, some basic updates:
Friday is my last day in Quito! On Saturday I will be moving
to northern Ecuador to the region of —–Imbabura. I’ll be living in a small
town in the Andes called Pimampiro and doing an apprenticeship in nearby
Paragachi with an international NGO called Vibrant Village Foundation.
The past two weeks in Quito have been pretty wild. There
hasn’t necessarily been time to completely settle, but things are starting to
become a bit more familiar, just in time to leave. Munya and I aren’t tripping
and falling the entire time on the bus to and from classes anymore. I have the
Spanish skills necessary for basic communication – as well as pluscuamperfecto
subjuntivo. I’ve grown accustomed to talking politics with my tías around the
kitchen table while sipping Nescafé with milk poured from a bag. Similarly, I’ve
become comfortable with the constant presence of intelligent friends. We walk together
to get ice cream or to eat at the ever present shawarma restaurant and discuss
global issues or books or make stupid jokes.
It’s strange to think in a couple days I’ll be doing things
on my own, without the rest of my cohort, but I’m excited to take this next
step. I’m about to get into the things I really came here to do – to meet
people and hear their stories. I’m ready to take this opportunity to broaden my
own perspective, as well as create new relationships and share laughter. It’s
gonna be a good year.
