Anticipation

Well, I leave for Quito, Ecuador in 5 days and I can hardly believe it! After a weeklong orientation with the other international students in my program around Quito, we will fly to Guayaquil together and get settled in with our host families and schedules for the rest of the semester. The past week has been filled with constant shopping as I prepare to leave snow-filled Minnesota for the heat of the equator. I have had a few emails back and forth with my host family, which has been really exciting! I will be living with two parents, two sisters, a brother, and a grandmother about ten minutes away from Universidad de Especialidades Espíratu Santo, where I will be taking Spanish and a few Sociology courses in the evenings. I have also received an email about my internship while I am in Ecuador, which I am really excited about. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday, I will be at Fundación Cariño in Guayaquil, a center for preschool and kindergarten-aged kids suffering from poor nutrition. It should be a wonderful learning experience, and I cannot wait to get to know the kids! As for now, I am anxiously awaiting my arrival in Quito, and am enjoying time with family and friends before this new adventure!