The Best of ECUADOR

(1) My scarf collection
(2) The Ultimas Noticias´15K
(3) Ecuador-Venezuela Soccer Game
(4) La Huaina--my second home in Quito
(5) Bridge Jumping in Baños
(6) Holding a boa in the Vivarium
(7) White Water Rafting in Tena
(8) David and Cesar (from mohawks to vueltas)
(9) Using my last name to get the group Bus Reservations
(10) Llapingachos
(11) Banana Batidos from the coast
(12) Walking everywhere
(13) Riding in a Chiva for Fiestas de Quito
(14) Reggaeton
(15) The view of the mountains walking to school
(16) Class trip to Parque Metropolitano
(17) My students and our inside jokes
(18) Unlikely Christmas Dinner in Montañita
(19) Swimming in the River in Lita
(20) Fellow SECAPers and Quiteños

One month left in Ecuador...

Trying my best to avoid excessive countdowns, but since I haven´t been home in close to a year, it is a very exciting time to know that I will be coming home soon to see family and friends. The part that is difficult that I didn´t ever imagine before was what I would be leaving. I have made friends in Quito, both Ecuadorian and American, created a familia with the niños and my host parents that I have been living with for the past year. While I am very excited to be home, perhaps it is bittersweet. It is with this that the one month mark has left me with a sense of taking advantage of everything I love about Ecuador and making the most of the rest of my time. Since the last time I´ve written, I´ve visited Baños and jumped off a bridge with 3 of my close friends that arrived here to volunteer in March. I celebrated the equivalent of Labor Day Weekend at the beach in Atacames. I´ve visited Cesar and David´s preschool to watch their family day performances. I´m currently planning to head to Ambato to celebrate my friend from high school´s bday. I´m also going to be running-jogging-slugging along in a 15K in June. When I go to think back about the time I´ve spent in Ecuador this year, I´m sure I will have nothing but fond memories of the people and places.

Feliz Dia de la Maestra! :)

My Intermediate class after our fiesta for dia de la maestra...

Some of my favorite students from the morning Basic 2 class...
Fellow SECAP ¨Profe¨s...