transportation.

My life is drastically different without Felipe.  In the U.S. he gets me exactly where I need to be exactly when I need to be there.  Yes, he's expensive to feed, but yes, I think he's worth it.  My beloved little Ford Focus would not fit in here.

My main form of transportation in Ecuador:  my own two legs.  I walk everywhere.  Coming from a college where I can leave my dorm room three minutes before my class starts and still get there on time has been quite a transition for me, but I'm starting to enjoy the walk.  [Warning:  I'm about to expose top secret information about my "get away from everything and be alone place at Trinity"...something I've NEVER told ANYONE. Handle this information with care.] When I need a break at Trinity, I sit in my car.  It may sound dumb, but sometimes I don't even drive anywhere, I just sit in my two door little friend in the middle of the parking lot and cry or think or pray.  Because that's not an option for me here, I've started to do those things while walking.  I may look like a fool crying or talking to God as I trek up Villalengua, but it's become an outlet that I can't give up.

While I may use my walking time to process or ball my eyes out, I will NOT be doing that on the Trole anytime soon.  While I wouldn't say I have a friendly feelings toward the Trole, I'm doing my best to think of it as a standing-room-only concert that I just can't get enough of.  [That only works some days, but I'll take what I can get.]

Taxis are what I like to think of as the lazy way of transportation.  When I feel like I just can't make the climb up the hill, I resort to waving my hand and proudly saying in defeat, "Villalengua y Vasco de Contreras por favor."  Sometimes it's just worth the couple bucks.  

While the transportation in Ecuador took some time to get used to, I've come to value the thinking time provided by my lengthened commutes and appreciate the convenience of my car in the U.S.  

misahualli.

A weekend I've been waiting for since the moment I signed up for this semester:  the jungle.  

On Thursday morning we boarded the bus eager with anticipation for our first trip to Misahualli.  After a couple hours, a session of devouring leftover chocolate mousse from the guys apartment, a couple near death experiences, and some car sickness, we stopped at a gas station to take a bathroom break.  We got lucky and stumbled upon these bad boys (which are actually strangely common in the hills of Ecuador)...

 After a couple more hours on the bus we stopped at a deserted tourist destination on the side of the mountain road to explore some caves.  Sadly, nobody on the trip had a waterproof camera (the only kind i DON'T have) so I have no pictures from inside the cave to share...BUT it was SO COOL.  We wore head lamps and did everything from climb up waterfalls to the cave version of cliff jumping to seeing GIANT spiders to jumping into a 9-foot-deep hole under water to getting mud facials by our Ecuadorian guide.  It was definitely one of the best adventures we've gone on since being here.

Aaaaand after a little less than an hour bus ride from the caves, we finally arrived at Misahualli.  We stayed at a hostel that had AMAZING food.  I'm being serious...the best four days of eating I've experienced since being here.  We got way to close to the tourist-friendly (or not so friendly when they try to steal your camera) monkeys in the small square next to the hostel, tried our very best not to get bitten by chiggars (almost invisible bugs that leave bites that itch worse than the worst poison ivy you could imagine), and spent the weekend serving.

On Friday I got the opportunity to go with Zach (the guys' RC) to teach English in the insanely small village about 40 minutes from Misahualli, Pusuno.  I met Elena, their teacher who travels by bus, river, and foot 1.5 hours there and back each day to be their teacher, cook, mom, caregiver, and more.  She is a Saint.  Really.  We spent the morning playing games, doing activities, and loving on the 7 precious children of God in Pusuno.  My heart wanted to stay forever.

Someone shared this quote during one of our evening gatherings in Misahualli and I think it puts words to the way my heart feels after our weekend in the jungle:

"I slept and dreamt that life was joy.  I awoke and saw that life was service.  I acted and behold, service was joy." -Rabindranath Tagore

 [after we called to Humberto across the river to bring us to the other side in his canoe, we walked this jungle path to Pusuno]

 [I let the kids use my camera...not bad for a camera almost as big as their heads.  Merly & I]

 [the houses we passed in Pusuno]

 [the school in Pusuno]

 [Merly, Chequiera, Henri, and me]

[our class in Pusuno]

culture.

My culture is my normal.  It includes the place I came from, the traditions I uphold, the values and beliefs I was raised with, the food I like, the clothes I wear, the music I listen to, the slang I use, the way I greet my friends, the way I spend my time, the time of day I go out, and so much more.  I think that the way a person defines culture shows what is most important to him or her.  I would say my culture is made up by my family, or the people I consider family whether blood or not.  

[Some pictures of the family and culture I left behind]

Moving to a new place for a little under four months changes the culture I'm surrounded by.  I used to walk around campus greeting people with a "Hey baby!" or a "Hey, how are ya?" Now I walk down the streets saying "Buenos Dias!" I used to walk down the street and smile at people who looked a lot like me.  Now i walk down the street searching for anyone of my height and eye color.  It's interesting how different this place is from my normal.  Here people shove their way into an already jam packed Trole regardless of whether or not they should fit inside.  Here people ride three to a motorcycle, with the baby resting in between the driver and passenger.  Here people bargain at the market for food or souvenirs.  Here people honk and almost run pedestrians over.  Here people pay $1.50 for almuerzos.  Here people dance to salsa music and celebrate Carnaval.  It's different, and I'm learning how to handle that difference slowly but surely.  I've had to learn to communicate with my community back home for support, but also to trust my new community here for support.  I've had complaining sessions with friends here about all the things we miss from home, but that doesn't change the fact that this new place, this new culture I'm surrounded by is so incredibly fascinating and something I know will bless me more than I could ever imagine.

[some pictures of the family and culture I am gaining]

roomies.

Roommates.  I have four back at Trinity and I have four here in Ecuador.  I was pleasantly surprised when my luggage was taken to the room of five on the night I arrived in Quito.  I didn't realize that the familiarity of sharing space with four other girls would remind me so much of the love and community I left behind in Illinois.

It has been a pure joy spending the last three weeks getting to know my roommates and housemates.  I share a room with four beautiful girls who encourage me and make me laugh in every interaction.  I sleep in the middle bed of three in a row.  Bonnie, who I could tell had such a contagious, inspiring passion for the Lord and His word (along with a passion for animal Tees) sleeps to my left.  To my right sleeps Sarah, who makes me feel at home with her "tell it like it is" outlook on life combined with her love for cuddling.  Above Sarah sleeps Janie, who asks thought provoking questions and drops her phone off the top bunk almost every night at some point.  Straight across from me sleeps Kayla, who has a knack for loving people in a way nobody else can and keeps me company in the glowing lights of our computer screens late at night when everyone else has gone to sleep.

It has only been three weeks, but I feel like I've known this community for longer than that.  The way God has used my roommates and housemates to hug me when I want to cry, encourage me when I miss the encouraging words of my friends back home, feed me when my cravings for chocolate seem much too strong, and make me laugh when it doesn't seem possible has blown me away.  It took me a while to let myself be open and vulnerable with them about the things that are really going on in my heart, but when I finally did, I couldn't believe how blessed I was by their support.  I can already tell this community is going to be a blessing to my soul.  As the Bonster would say... Praise Him.

 [so much love already]

[if you can't be crazy with your roomies...who can you be crazy with]

arriving in ecuador.

I always knew I wanted to study abroad, but I never thought I'd end up in Quito.  It's been about two weeks and I already recognize blessings that will come out of this semester.  

I came into my freshman year of college adamant on studying abroad during my four years at Trinity.  I immediately began to schedule my four years around the idea of studying abroad in the spring of my junior year.  I've always had a heart for missions and knew that if I worked hard, I would be able to "take a semester off" and spend a semester abroad focusing on ministry and growth.  When I heard that Trinity sponsored a semester abroad to Ecuador, I knew it was the perfect place.  Since then I have been working like crazy to get my major requirements and countless teacher-aiding hours out of the way so I could pack up and spend this spring experiencing Quito.  

So here I am, two weeks in.  Already this semester has blessed me and tried me.  I found it a lot more difficult to leave behind the wonderful loving community I had at Trinity and at home than I thought it would be.  I have found, during these first two weeks, that it's hard to feel loved and supported from thousands of miles away, even when I know I have the best friends in the world who made a daily calendar for me, sent me with notes and gifts, and stay on Skype 24 hours a day in case I get the chance to call.  But after two weeks, I have already been blessed by the relationships forming with my housemates and semester abroad staff.  I'm nervous that this semester is going to drag on yet fly by at the same time.  I'm nervous that I'll have trouble balancing relationships here and relationships at home. I am, however, excited for the adventure and kingdom work God has in store for me this semester.  

student activity.

Something I have found in common between my life in the Midwest and my life in Ecuador:  I. LOVE. WEEKENDS.  

This week has been crazy.  It's strange how time can move so slow but so wildly fast at the same time.  The semester has officially shifted from only funtivities, hanging out, and exploring (orientation) TO spanish class, spanish class, and more spanish class.  This week in spanish I... 1. learned a couple new vocab words 2. practiced my Origami 3. learned some slang from the UK (thanks to my British partner, Tom) 4. took two tests in one day 5. passed my tests with flying colors and moved up to the intermediate class so next week I will actually start learning new things! 

Yesterday I also squeezed in my first "one-on-one" with Kim.  We went out for lunch before my afternoon class and COMPLETELY lost track of time.  I knew in the moment we were speed walking like freshmen on their way to class in the first week of school that Kim and I would be GREAT friends.  Losing track of time while being in one's presence = forever friends.  

And when I thought my day yesterday couldn't get any better, we hit the streets.  We rode the obnoxiously packed trolley to Old Quito and spent the evening experiencing the oldest street in Quito, La Ronda.  We stopped at two different restaurants for empanadas:  empanadas for dinner and dessert!  The dessert empanada rocked my world.  Seriously...it was practically three times the size of my face and covered with sugar.  

It was so fun to hang out, listen to live salsa bands (attempting to dance but realizing that's not my area of expertise...) and laugh with my semester family until my stomach hurt.  I would say "TGIF" but that was yesterday sooo...TGFF (Thank God For Fridays).  

[La Ronda]

[dinner empanadas]

 [me, sarah, our new street friend, kim, & alyssa]

 [waiting for dessert]

[me, alyssa, & bonnie.  could laugh with these beauties all night]

[DESSERT.  melted my tastebuds with deliciousness] 

[the trinfolk]

 [oh how i love kim]

[hahahaha...the ladies.]