"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!