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.