First week impressions

I made it, guys! After three pretty uneventful flights, myself and the rest of the WorldTeach volunteers arrived safe and sound (and exhausted out of our minds) this past Sunday. Since then we've spent an intense week of daily nine hour orientation sessions covering everything from health and safety to how to prepare for teaching to what cultural differences to expect here in Ecuador.

I would definitely be lying if I said that I haven't felt overwhelmed at some point nearly every day this week. Not because Quito is a terrifying place or because everything seems so different, but because we've been introduced to so much new information at one time. I know it's simply to ensure that we are well prepared but at the same time (ohmigoodness!) it is a lot to digest at in a very short time period.

Take this week for example. The first few sessions covered safety in Quito, so we learned everything we need to know to prevent being pickpocketed, mugged, drugged, express kidnapped (that deserves a whole 'nother blog entry), etc. during our month here. While most of the information is just typical common sense to use while in a big city, it was a bit frightening to hear it all at once more or less as soon as we had stepped off the plane. And then there was our health session which covered all of the different ways we could get sick while we're here (and how we shouldn't be surprised if at some time this year we poop out a worm...yes.)

As the days have passed, though, I've grown much more comfortable in my new city. Yes, we take certain precautions (like keeping our valuables in our bras--that's definitely a new experience) and staying aware of our surroundings, but it would be a shame to miss out on all that Quito has to offer because we're too afraid to go out and enjoy it.

And there is so much here to enjoy! For me, the natural beauty of this area is by far my favorite thing about Quito. I've never lived in or near mountains and to be surrounded by so many (and a few active volcanoes) is absolutely breathtaking. I especially love to look out over the city at night when all of the surrounding mountains are lit up by thousands of tiny lights. It's like Christmas at every sunset.

The house I'm staying at is located more on the outskirts of Quito near the top of one the hills/mountains so every morning as I walk to the bus stop I have an amazing view of the landscape. My host family consists of my host mom, Celia; her grown son, Daniel; and her daughter, Evelyn, and her husband and 2-year-old daughter who live down the street on the same block. Celia is actually more of our host grandma since she is in her 70s but she is quite spunky and is a wonderful cook. Daniel teaches in the tourism department at a local university and works a few days out of the week at resort on the coast where he takes groups of students out rock climbing, zip-lining, and on other outdoor excursions. He is an avid biker (which is amazing seeing as how all of the roads here are insanely steep) and is also an amazing tour guide. Yesterday, he took us out to el centro historico, which contains many of the government buildings, including the president's house, and quite a few churches, and took us to see the giant statue of the Virgin of Quito located at the top of one of the mountains here. He's also very protective of his host sisters (myself and the other volunteer living here, Elizabeth) and was kind enough to escort us to and from orientation this week until we got the hang of the bus system.

I have been pleasantly surprised with how much I am able to communicate in Spanish. I thought for sure I would be completely and utterly lost the first few weeks of orientation. What has certainly helped is that Quitenos tend to speak much slower than, say, Mexicans, or even Ecuadorians who live on the coast. So it's generally easier to pick out familiar words and phrases and make educated guesses about the meaning from there. Also, our first day we all took a Spanish placement test and were placed into Spanish classes for the duration of our orientation. I was placed in the intermediate group (which is the largest...and the most fun) and each day we spend an hour with our Spanish teacher, Amparo. Our host brother is also very keen on getting us to learn and speak the language so each night after dinner we typically spend an hour or so chatting with him.

Let's see...que mas? Like I mentioned earlier, this week has very much been "information overload" and I could probably write several entries on all that I have seen, heard, learned and experienced since arriving here. There have been the little adjustments I've had to make, like throwing my toilet paper in a wastebasket and not a toilet, learning to use an electric shower, making do without hot water, and doubling my bra as my purse.

And then of course there are the larger adjustments to living in a developing country. Overall, I'm finding myself quite taken with Ecuador. We've been lucky enough to have a whole week without rain (during the rainy season!) and the temperatures generally stay in the 70s during the day and the 50s at night. Yet, as with any city, Quito has its high points and its lows. Poverty permeates nearly every aspect of the city and wherever you go, you are constantly reminded that you are no longer in a first world country. But, simultaneously, there is so much to learn about Ecuadorian culture, so much Ecuadorian hospitality to experience, so much natural beauty to go out and enjoy that I'm finding each day that I notice those things less and less. It will be interesting to see how my perspective will have changed between now and by the end of my year here.

If there is anything specific you'd like to know about my first week or my first impressions of Quito, just leave a comment below and I'll be sure to respond. There's a lot I didn't mention so feel free to ask away! Also, I know several people have asked about pictures and I promise those will be forthcoming.

Chao!

"Nos vemos pronto!"

That's how our field directors signed their email to us today.

"Nos vemos pronto!" We'll see you soon! 

And you want to know what's crazy?

We will see them soon.
Very soon.
Four days to be exact.

Since sending in my application in May it seems like I've done nothing but anticipate this trip. I mean I couldn't believe that I was finally going to South America! But after nine months of said anticipation, you find that you have no idea what to do with yourself once the big day actually rolls around. It's one thing to chatter on and on about all the "what ifs" and "can't wait tos" but, hold the phone!, what does packing up and moving to a Spanish speaking country for a year actually entail? Now that I have less than a week, I guess it's time to answer that question!

I am happy to say that I've at least gotten over most of my pre-departure nerves. Instead of the previous 50-50 split between excitement and nerves, I'd say it's now more of a 90-10. As more and more of the blanks about my trip are getting filled in and I've been able to be more proactive in my preparations, I've found myself focusing more on what an incredible opportunity this is and less on fearfully wondering just what I'm going to encounter when I arrive.

So let me fill you in on what's going to be going down over these next few days/weeks.

This Sunday, February 17th, me and the rest of the gang will be flying into Miami, FL to meet up for our pre-departure orientation. I'm not entirely sure what this orientation consists of but I'm assuming lots of important information to start our year off on the right foot. We'll be spending the night at a hotel in Miami and then will be up at 2:00am (won't be much of a night) to catch our flight to Bogota and then on to Quito where we're expected to arrive at 10:00am should all go as planned. From there, we'll head to our hotel where we'll jump right into our first session of orientation that afternoon. The following evening our host families have been invited to a BBQ hosted by WorldTeach where they will meet us and then take us home. (I keep getting images of our group of volunteers as little, lost orphans hoping some sweet family will come along and adopt us.)

The host families we'll be meeting on Tuesday will serve as our host families only for the duration of orientation. We'll each be placed with a new family once we leave for our placement sites. We still don't know who we'll be living with but were assured by our field directors that they are working hard to find us each great families and that we'll find out once we're in-country. While we're waiting on the specifics, we've been instructed to purchase gifts for our host families, preferably things that reflect our hometown/state. So my fellow Ohioans, any suggestions? (You can leave comments below.)

From February 18th to March 15th, we will be immersed in an intense one-month orientation to acclimate us to Ecuador and prepare us for teaching. Each day consists of an hour long Spanish lesson, cross-cultural adjustment training, and TEFL preparation. We've been warned that the days will be long and there's a good chance we'll all probably feel extremely overwhelmed by the end of it. However, there'll will be a few fun outings and salsa lessons (yes, salsa!) to keep things exciting. And it helps knowing that everything we'll be learning will come in useful at some point or another.

It's currently summer in Ecuador so I'm certainly looking forward to the warmer temperatures. I can honestly say I will not be homesick for mounds of snow or wind chills below freezing. I won't escape the cold entirely though since Quito is located in the highlands. We've been told that even though it might be a pleasant 75 degrees during the day, the temperatures drop drastically at night. We've all been instructed to bring layers and jackets and to not be surprised if we can see our breath once the sun sets.

In terms of keeping in touch with me while in Ecuador, I will have internet access so emailing, Facebook, and Skype are all viable options. Calling takes a bit more time and effort but can be done with some patience and a calling card. I found out that (surprise, surprise!) Ecuador is actually in the same time zone as Ohio so there won't be that awkward time difference like there was when I was in Australia. I'll also have a physical address once I'm set up with my host family and can send that information to you as well if you're interested.

Ookay...so now you know, more or less, everything I know at this point. With only four days to go, the biggest emphasis has obviously been on packing and making last minute purchases. Even though this isn't my first time packing to go abroad and even though I know what I need to pack, I still find myself dragging my feet. Anyone who knows me well knows that I hate making decisions. And there is nothing more exhausting than spending a day attempting to pack your suitcase when you second-guess every item that goes into it (which happens to be quite a few items when you're packing for a year). I've decided that I'm going to buckle down and try and get at least one of my two suitcases packed this afternoon. Or tomorrow afternoon. But soon, definitely very soon.

Considering my procrastination and the inevitable time crunch I'll find myself in, this will probably be my last entry stateside. You'll next hear from me on here when I've made it the equator! In the meantime, I will be posting status updates on the Facebook page so check there to stay informed.

Hasta pronto!