1 down, 2 to go!

I can't believe it's already been a week! There have been so many breathtaking, challenging, and emotional moments. First, a few things I forgot to mention in the last posts. A few obvious changes that we're all trying to adjust to. 

1. The altitude: so we're way up in the Andes mountains, if I haven't mentioned that a couple times already. They warned us that we would or ably need some time to adjust, so I was worried about that. It hasn't been terrible, but I've definitely felt it! Just walking around I feel fine. But as soon as we exert any energy, PHEW. The thinness of the air is so obvious. For instance, to get from the school back to our homestay we have to take this HUGE flight of stairs.

I would probably get winded anyway, but with the altitude, we usually have to stop 1-2 times to catch our breath. And when we go even higher into Cahuazhun Grande, I get winded playing with the kids. It probably doesn't help that they all want me to spin them in circles. Dizzy AND winded!

2. The bathroom sitch: so here in Ecuador, the pipes are all really small. This means flushing toilet paper = plumber bill. So instead you use the toilet paper and throw it away. All of the bathrooms have little trash cans next to the toilets so we can do this, even in ourhomestays. In really touristy areas they'll have signs reminding you not to flush it. Also, toilet paper is not guaranteed in the bathrooms, so we always carry some with us. Most bathrooms have the dispensers outside the stalls so you grab it on your way in. Lastly, sometimes it costs to use the bathroom - literally.  People sit outside of restrooms and charge you 10-20 cents to use them. One time it came with toilet paper, so that was nice. It's definitely an adjustment, but not nearly as bad as I was imagining. The restrooms don't smell any worse, and I think some of the toilet paper is even scented. 

3. The Money: luckily they use American currency so that's convenient. The coins are different, but they accept our coins and give us back Ecuadorean coins. Almost everything is also much cheaper here. We go to bakeries a lot and can get 2 pastries for 50 cents. Bottles of water are only 40 cents. I think the most expensive things we've purchased have been drinks. The markets are usually easy to barter, but I also feel bad bartering. I want to pay for the hard work put into handmade items at least. 

As for some other cool things that have happened: 

The second day at the school (Miguel Ignacio Cordero) went well. We played games with our 2-4 year olds. They taught us body parts in Spanish and Quechua, and we taught them "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes." Our teacher wanted to better her English so she had us write the song lyrics and a diagram (read: stick figure) of the body. At "recess" I talked to a boy named Cristián. He had a bunch of questions. He asked about American food, music, money, geography, everything. He wanted to know about the twin towers, when we were going to rebuild them, and why they were knocked down. It was such a good conversation. I was pleasantly surprised by my Spanish skills and his curiosity. He's come to multiple people from our group with just as inquisitive conversation. I love working with the chiquititos, but it was a good change of pace to have a real convo. Also, I love learning Quechua. It's nice to have an actual exchange and not just impress all my American views on everyone. I now know how to say head, hands, feet, legs, and neck. And my host mom taught us how to say cold and cat. All the necessary words for communication! 

This was the view from where Cristián and I talked. No filter, just fresh air and sunshine. 

And clouds. Always clouds in the mountains. 

When we got back to the house, we had a lot of free time so we went to the local market to buy gifts and souvenirs. I bought a blanket and socks made of alpaca, some headbands, and a Panama hat for my dad. No photos cus I don't wanna ruin the surprises of gifts!

When we came back I got to play with María Alejandra! She loved trying on everything. And drinking my water. And saying her colors in English. 

We decided to go out with our housemate Jen, our classmates, and our Ecuadorean partner Gabbi. We went to a salsa club and tried to learn salsa from Gabbi. Emphasis on tried. It was fun! 

On Saturday we had the most relaxing spa day. There's a place not far from Cuenca called Baños where you can enjoy all the amenities and a massage for $50. The amenities include a sauna, a clay mud bath, an exfoliating mud bath, volcanic showers, underground thermal pools, a steambox, and Japanese thermal pools. The whole day was absolutely perfect. It was 80° which is the warmest we've had and great for being in water all day. 

Siblings! 

Clay Baths! 

Justin and Haley! 

Lunch with Marisa!

Honeymoon Photo! 

The steamboxes! These were by far our least favorite part. They are literally lawn chairs inside of boxes that blow steam at your paralyzed body and floating head. It dripped condensation on me, it got so hot that the knob was too hot to touch and my butt burned, and even though it was only 15 minutes, we broke ourselves out of them. Don't let the smiles fool you. They are torture chambers. 

After the spas we decided to go to a karaoke bar. It was funny because there's no stage, they just bring you the mic at your table when you request a song. It was fun! 

Today we traveled to Saraguro which is a 3-hour drive. It's 95% indigenous population and gorgeously wonderful. We got to see a market and have a traditional lunch. The food was fabulous and filling. Walking through the market was awkward. There were 20 of us amongst a crowded community. We were definitely not a part of the community and they made that known by their incessant stares. I am in no way blaming them, and they weren't rude or aggressive by any means, but I felt like I was invading their space and didnt like feeling that we were looking at them like zoo animals or something. So I took minimal photos so as not to be offensive. Here's one before we went to the middle of town. So beautiful:

When we left, our bus broke down. We were not excited to extend our already long trip. But our classmate Elaine kept an open mind and suggested we think of it as an adventure. So we did! 

Elaine and I climbed a rock pile to get a better view! 

We finally got home and ate dinner. I was sad I didn't get to talk to my mommy all day, but I hope she had a wonderful Mother's Day. It's nice to be around a mommy who cares for me here in Ecuador, but no one's love compares to my own mommy. I'm so grateful for her support, love, effort, and engagement in my life, and I'm convinced I have the best mommy of them all. Happy Mommy's Day Robin Angela! 

I can't believe our first week is over, but I had one hell of a time!  I've been learning and growing already and there's so much more in store. Plus I'm ready to get back to the kids! As soon as we drive away on Friday I was sad we'd have to wait 3 days. Hasta mañana chiquititos!

Besitos 😘 

La clave para la vida es aprender

SPOILER ALERT: outlandishly long post. 

So glad to finally be in Ecuador! The flights weren't terrible. The international flight had dinner and great movies (though I slept 4/6 hours). I was nervous to go through customs, but it was extremely simple. When we got off the plane we were told to look for someone holding a sign that said Ohio State. Instead there was this:

I've ALWAYS wanted to get off a plane to someone holding a sign with my name so I'm so excited to have that surprise in Ecuador! We stayed in a cozy hotel for the night that had a delicious breakfast and was a good intro to Ecuadorean food.

We had a tour of Quito planned for the day that was extensive and fabulous. We visited a number of churches and cathedrals since most of Ecuador is heavily Catholic. They were IMMACULATE. There was one made nearly completely of gold. We weren't allowed to take photos, but it was crazy gorgeous.

We also got to see La Plaza Grande y La Plaza de San Fransisco which are two main areas of Quito. 

Then we trekked up a mountain to El Panecillo which is the Virgin of Quito and can be seen from most parts of the city. The view was breathtaking and they weren't lying about how big the statue is!

Next we traveled to La Mitad del Mundo: the middle of the world! Latitude and Longitude are both 0! We got a tour of the outdoor museum where they told us about indigenous Ecuadorean practices. And then we got to try a bunch of tricks on the actual equator to prove we were on the line. So cool!

We left there and headed to the airport for our domestic flight to Cuenca. It was a mess from start to finish but let's just say it's a good thing we were two hours early because our flight left an hour and a half early! With no notice! Luckily our host families were notified because they were scheduled to pick us up and the flight is only 40 minutes, so they had to drop what they were doing and head to the airport.

My family is so sweet. I live with our host mom María Dolores, her daughter María Alejandra, her two sisters, her mom, and her brother-in-law and two niece/nephews. There's also a woman traveling South America who's using our house for a homestay as well. She's from canada and she's awesome! Our house is in a great spot. We meet at the University if Cuenca every day, and we're a 3 minute walk from there. We are also in the middle of downtown, so we are close to pharmacies, bakeries, clubs, everything.

On our 1st full day in Cuenca we started with a welcome breakfast with our partners at the university. It was beautiful and refreshing, both the food and the conversation. 

I LOVE that we have plátanos, fresh fruit juice, bread, and rice at almost every meal. Everything is delicious! 

 

We headed to the university which is located along a river and has a mountain skyline. So. Beautiful. 

After an orientation to our time in Ecuador, we had some free time, so my American host siblings and I walked along the river until it was time for a Cuenca tour! We got to see a food market and a textiles market, which were both really cool. Then we got a tour of a hat factory because panama bars are extremely important in Ecuadorean culture. The indigenous people wear Panama hats as a last of their outfits like shoes. So even if it's raining, they still wear hats, they just cover them with bags. It was cool to see behind the scenes!  The rooftop view was also a high point. 

(My host siblings from OSU, Marisa and Andrew)

After the tour we had a quick dinner at home and headed to a concert on campus. Our partner Gabriela was performing amongst other acts. It was probably the coolest thing I've ever been to. There were traditional dances, classical music, Andean folk songs, and then a rock concert at the end! We all agreed anyone who didn't come seriously missed out. 

Finally, this morning, we were able to go to the school! It's in a community called Cahauzhun Grande, which is an indigenous community at the tippy top of one of the mountains. You can't find it on a map, and it doesn't show up in google searches. The drive was ~ 1.5 hours, with about an hour of scaling a mountain. The views on the way up were beautiful. I've never been that high before! 

Our driver had to ask for directions twice because there are no road signs and no maps to this community. We got there and the kids were shy and observant. Together with the teachers and students, we held a traditional welcome ceremony. It was so cool to see their culture immediately. We played with the kids for at least an hour. It was so good to be able to dance, play games, learn their names, see their community, and start to gain trust on both ends. An easy conversation starter eith kids in any country is to let them see your camera! (And your bracelet). 

I worked in a classroom today with los chiquititos (really little kids). They were ages 2-5. They sang us songs, told us the story of the Big Bad Wolf (both in Spanish), and learned a little English. They also taught us Quechua! Quechua is an indigenous language of the Andes region. Our host mom taught us the words for cat and cold, since she uses those a lot. Most people in Ecuador know at least some Quechua, and in the indigenous regions they're usually fluent. I was nervous about translating or not being able to communicate with the kids, but my Spanish has been pleasantly surprising me! This is GREAT NEWS!!

After the kids left (their day is over at 12:40) the teachers had us stick around and learn a traditional dance. We're going to have a special celebration with everyone from the community soon, and they invited us to be a part of it by participating in the dance.  Because this is all a cultural exchange, they wanted to learn a dance too. So we taught them the Wobble. And the ChaCha slide. And the Electric Slide. 

When we finally left, we visited two other communities on the way down (Gualaceo y Sigsig). We got to try llapangacho which is big in Ecuador. It's a cheesy potato dish. And we finally saw cuy. Cuy is the Spanish word for guinea pig, which is a popular dish in Ecuador. They cook them whole and eat as much as possible. I'm not thrilled to try it since we keep them as pets, but I know my days are numbered before I will have to. Say yes to everything once right?! (Jk mom, not EVERYTHING) 

It took us an incredibly long time to get home. We were an hour and a half late to dinner and our host mom was worried. We can't contact her since we don't have cell service. It was nice to see how much she cared, and she had dinner ready for us. I'm so ready to curl up in bed and excited to see the kiddos again tomorrow! When we met the teachers today, one said "la clave para la vida es aprender" which means the key to life is learning.  I said in my last post how important learning has become to me, and it was so ironic and humbling to hear that theme across cultures and languages. Can't wait to see what's next!

Pre-Travel Jitters

This time tomorrow I'll be at the airport, most likely far more anxious than I already am.  This 3-week adventure has been long anticipated for a multitude of reasons.

When I first caught wind of this opportunity, I was floored.  It encompassed every thing I was looking for in a study abroad experience.  During my time in college I've discovered my passion for Higher Education and Student Affairs, particularly access to education nationwide and globally.  Even before college, I knew that I was passionate about learning the Spanish language and Latino culture, and I decided to pursue a Spanish minor.  The announcement of an affordable study abroad opportunity that combined both was a Godsend for me.  I had begun to accept the sure fate that I'd never be able to study abroad in college.  If I did, I was willing to accept any subject area in any Spanish-speaking country.  So when I talk about how excited I am to embark on this adventure, I hope my pure bliss is understood.  I think most people can attest to the reality that experiences which combine all of your varied passions are few and far between.

In these last few hours before we hop on the first two planes to Quito, Ecuador, I am nervous.  I've had a countdown ticking since the day I found out I was accepted, and each day I've been bursting with more excitement.  Now that we are so close, I am freaking out -- for a variety of reasons.

1.  This is my FIRST international trip.  Well, last year I traveled by charter bus to Canada for the weekend.  It was a phenomenal experience, but besides the unfriendly customs officers at the border, the trip felt a lot like any other school-sponsored trip to the next state over.  I've never taken an international flight or delved into another culture on their home turf.

2. Tenemos que hablar espanol por todo el tiempo! We have to speak Spanish the whole time!  This was always my intent in studying abroad because after 7+ years of studying the language, I still can't call myself fluent; I believe this has a lot to do with my lack of experience abroad.  For that reason, I'm excited to challenge myself.  But I've always felt less comfortable speaking Spanish around native speakers out of the fear that I'll say things wrong or have an American accent.  I'm learning to shed that fear.  

Also, our trip is comprised of 20 people altogether, but Spanish language background was not required for admittance.  I think this is wonderful because it gives everyone the opportunity to learn Spanish on the fast-track!  However, we will be working with a school in an indigenous community with no translators.  For those of us with some Spanish background, we've been told our help will be needed.  Immediate thoughts: I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! But I'm sure I will surprise myself! (cross your fingers)

3. Three weeks is just enough/not enough time.  I'm thrilled to have three weeks to spend in Ecuador.  The time frame is great because it will give us enough time to get acclimated and build connections.  And I've never had a travel experience that long before!  But three weeks also seems so short.  Reflecting on the last three weeks, I'm appalled by how quickly they flew!  I want to be able to make the most and learn as much as possible.  I titled my blog mas que aprender which means "more to learn."  If I've gathered anything from my collegiate experience, it's that there is always more to learn.  As soon as you lose that concept--when you think you've learned all there is to know about any topic--you become useless.  I'm excited to immerse myself in the unknown with an open mind.  While we might facilitate some conversations, I'm planning to be all eyes and ears, taking in everything I can.

In all, I'm extremely excited despite my half-packed bags and my constant fear that I'll forget my passport (YIKES).  Certain things in life just feel right, and this is one of them.