One of our first nights out in Quito was quite the experience. The main plaza is called La forge, in Mariscol or aka Gringo land. If you want to go out in Quito that is where you go, so naturally that is where we went. In Ecuador it is legal to drink on the streets. So feeling very badass, we engaged in this ¨cultural” activity while trying to decide where to begin the night. Our first location was ¨la mango¨ where you can get a delicious meal cooked in front of you, or even have the 95 cent drink specials.Our new Ecuadorian friends met up with us, and a few rounds and multiple toasts later, we decided to relocate, but not before we found this hole in the wall burrito place. The smell alone made me want to jump over the counter, grab a burrito from the stove and run. However, I had a little bit of restraint and five minutes later one of the best burrittos I´ve ever had was also probably the fastest I´ve ever consumed. Ready to go, we skipped over to a bar called upper level where we got to know our Ecuadorian friends better and hung out on the balcony enjoying the people watching below us. Soon the music was calling our names and we could not ignore it any longer. We initiated a huge dance party and the whole place was suddenly a mass of sweaty people jumping all around. I always consider it a successful night when I’ve started a dance party. Just as I was about to head out to the balcony for some fresh air, the power went out because of the electricity crisis going on here. Not feeling safe or like it was a good place to be anymore we decided to call it a night. However, whenever you plan on doing something here that usually changes. We passed another club that Pedro insisted was grand and we had to stop at! So of course we did, and about an hour later we finally got in a cab home after an exhausting but glorious night out.

Sorry if these thoughts sound random and separate.. I’m trying to catch up on the days and they are running together. It seem like in Ecuador mistakes only cost about 25 cents. Last friday Elizabeth, Sarah and I decided to be adventurous after class and went to find this bohemian market in Guapolo. We hailed a taxi from Cumbaya and confidently asked in Spanish to be dropped off there. A few minutes later we were left in a famous church square in a beautiful mountain village. Of course everything in Ecuador is beautiful, but after a few minutes we realized that the church was closed, and nothing else was around us. Guessing where the market could be, we followed a main path that brought us on a completely vertical uphill hike, through a seeminly deserted town. The view was amazing, but our calves didn´t appreciate it as much as our eyes and quickly we realized there was no market and we didn´t know where we were. Finally what seemed like hours later, a cab drove by, and again in our broken spanish we asked to be dropped off in quito, but it was too expensive and the cab driver offered to drop us off at the bus stop. It was the craziest slash scariest bus ride I have ever been on in my life. This cute little town had so many sharp turns and zigzags that I truly thought we were going to topple over. Plus, we accidentally had gotten on a private bus back to Cumbaya that was completely filled with moms, kids, and parents coming home from work and we had to stand in the isles without anything to hold on to. I said ¨lo siento¨ about a million times and gave up after the 20th accidental time I had grabbed the stranger next to me. However, only 25 cents and some great pictures later, we were back in Cumbaya. Not wanting to waste the day, we grabbed the bus and the Ecuavia into Quito and navigated our way to the artisan market where my eyes were bigger than my pockets and a 10 dollar hammock was considered expensive and could always be bartered down to 8! We met up with our new Ecuadorian friend and we got ice cream at the most delicious place called waffles and crepes. My friends had to hold me back from getting seconds and thirds, who knows maybe fourths. I still think about that place, and its almost been a week later. The day ended up very successful, I have decided that I may try and make more ¨mistakes¨from now on. I wish all mistakes in life only cost me 25 cents. In fact, if this were the case then I would probably try and make them more often. My new goal in ecuador is to try and make as many¨mistakes¨as possible.

Saturday, after the Friday Guapalo and Quito amazing ice cream place day I woke up bright and early ready for our first overnight trip in Ecuador. Sarah’s mom made amazing kiwi smoothies for us along with the usual spread of breakfast essentials. In Ecuador its common to have for breakfast cheese and ham, yogurt with fresh fruit, bread, juice, coffee with lots of milk, and sometimes even eggs. Something else that really threw me off at first was the blend of jam and butter in the same jar and that everyone eats white bread here. Peanut butter is also almost non-existent. However, I am very content with my usual yogurt containing about 10 different fruits sliced in it and cereal sprinkled on top, my glass of whatever fresh fruit juice Gloria makes, and toast. I don’t think I could stomach ham and cheese for breakfast every morning. I think the best part of my day is waking up. Besides my amazing breakfast, almost the first thing I see every day is the mountains, and the first thing I smell are the fresh flowers outside my window. I don’t know how I am going to return to the indoors after being in Ecuador for almost 5 months.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE my host family. My little sister Vanessa and I are buddies and she has been incredibly selfless and patient when she tutors me in Spanish and helps me with my homework. My family especially, but even most equadorians will drop anything to help you with something. For example, my mom is a gynecologist and her consult is attached to the house and every time I leave or come home I walk through the consult to say buenas dias and let her know I’m home. Almost every time she will drop everything she’s doing, and multiple times she has left patients butt in the air waiting for shots or legs open in the chair waiting for an examination. “OHH!! Me precioso, muy lindo, ohh muy rica, me poquita!!” she shouts.. Them I’m showered with hugs and kisses and she has once again left a patient hanging in order to prepare for me a snack and sit down and ask about my day. Its crazy! She will literally leave anything she’s doing to make sure I’m hydrated, well fed, and healthy. Even if I leave the room for five minutes she acts like I haven’t seen her in days. Hahaa.. and Nathy gives me all the advice I need about where to go, where to avoid, what music to listen to, and how to stay safe. She is an amazing cook, and one of these days she’s offered to give me lessons. My dad is a whole other story. He is so sweet! I don’t really think he knows how to communicate with me yet, so he just shows his affection by bringing me things every night, as he hands me these gifts his face lights up and looks at me expectantly, hoping that I will like it. So far I’ve accumulated a newspaper, a coin purse, and chocolate. He also brings me highlighted articles, crème for a huge stress zit I had, sun lotion for the day I got super burned, a huge huge huge textbook full of nursing terminology (however its in Spanish), and more gifts that he just smiles and hands me once a day and then happily walks away. I am also the tallest person in my family, at least a foot taller than everyone, and I have to bend over to give the standard hug and kiss greeting.

Everyday here is a toss-up with my Spanish. Monday I got really frustrated and very discouraged after my Spanish presentation, plus I was exhausted from a full weekend of travel and only a few hours of sleep, when my teacher pulled me aside to tell me she was concerned I wasn’t at the right Spanish level and that my Spanish was too basic. (However, looking back on this, she told me all this in Spanish, and in my defense I did understand her) I was crushed. This was my favorite class and the teacher was telling me I didn’t belong in it! I couldn’t concentrate the rest of the day and the rest of my classes might as well have been in a different language- ohh wait, they were! I didn’t know I had homework due in one class because I hadn’t understood the teacher and then I found out two of my classes might not transfer and I know my teacher was trying to tell me something important about an upcoming test but I had no clue what she said. Frustrated, tired, and missing my family and friends, I all of a sudden felt super lonely, isolated, missing the stableness of home, and unable to find the vocabulary to express this to anyone. Dejectedly I walked home and I could feel tears of frustration and disappointment forming.. just ready to bubble over. But then I looked up at the mountains and walked into the consult like normal, receiving the classic “Me precioso! Me lindo! Me poquito” from my mom as she asked me how my day was. For a moment I dumbfoundly opened and closed my mouth, ready to give the usual muy bueno response.

However, this time I decided it was now or never. I struggled through finding the right words to explain what had happened that day and how upset I was, and immediately she left her patient mid- shot to make me hot tea and to talk things over. I couldn’t believe I had finally actually clearly conveyed, using my Spanish, what I needed to say and someone had understood me! The rest of the night each family member took turns tutoring me and now everyone is going out of their way to point out Spanish terms or identify objects for me, or to gently correct my Spanish. I don’t know if it was the mountains, my mom’s quirkiness and kindness, or the realization that I have 5 months to learn this language, but it was def. a reality check. I am re-inspired and even more determined than ever to become fluent, and its amazing to gage myself and actually be able to see how much I’ve been improving everyday. Sometimes the worst days here turn into the best..