An Extraordinary Merry Christmas

It honestly feels like Thanksgiving and Christmas were only a week apart. It just came and went so quickly. And everyone says that after the holiday season ends, the exchange year picks up even more! I am not sure how to feel about that when already 4 months have gone by and I have three trips to go, and much more to learn and discover.

Weeks 16 and 17 leading up to Christmas were pretty typical. I went to Crossfit, school, and had plenty of Christmas get-togethers. On the weekend of week 16 I went to Guayaquil with my family, and we literally just went shopping at 3 different malls/plazas the whole time. I was getting pretty annoyed by the end, but I guess there was nothing better to do. I didn't really feel comfortable looking for clothes or anything because I didn't want to make them wait while I tried things on. So I ended up just following them around and holding their bags or whatever. During week 17 there was a volleyball tournament between courses, and my course begged me to play every day. I was reluctant to play because it meant changing shirts with one of the guys for their jersey, which was always damp and gross. But I begrudgingly changed and went out there to help my team win 3 of the 4 games we played. The week of school leading up to vacation was a joke- the teachers didn't even teach and the students were allowed to pretty much play around all day. If they weren't doing volleyball, or weren't sitting at the daily Christmas assembly in school, they were being crazy in the classroom- singing, dancing, sleeping on the floor, listening to music, playing games and more. I took one day that week to get up early and go to the Supermaxi store and buy ingredients for baking Christmas treats that my Mom normally bakes back home. I first made pretzel treats and then some chocolate covered peanut butter balls (or buckeyes). I saved the buckeyes for myself- they were so good haha- and brought the pretzel treats to my Rotary Christmas dinner that Wednesday night. At the dinner, we found out our next host families. I am nervous about the change, but I still have a month left where I am so I will not get to worked up yet. I attended the Christmas show my school put on Thursday night, and was disappointed at how boring and uneventful it was. I was just expecting it to be a great event, but then the kids were all half-hearted with their singing and the older kids were only participating because they had to in order to get credit for a class. For a Christmas event, it just was not joyous for me to watch. On Friday I went out with some friends, and ended up meeting a new friend named Alyssia. She is in the peace core and is staying in Ecuador for 2 years. Now THAT is a long time to be away. We had a great conversation and she invited me to do some volunteer work with her when I can. I was excited about the new opportunity. Saturday night I had my course party which was fun when everyone was dancing together. And on Sunday, my parents hosted a Christmas party in our house for their group of friends. I went down to eat with them and listened politely to their conversations until they started to leave and then I excused myself for the night.

Start of week 18- On Monday I went to the beach with Karen and Simone and some other friends. It was a great day but I got sunburnt :( I got home finally to shower and get the sand off me before heading to Chili's for the Machala exchange students "Christmas dinner". I am honestly sick of going to Chili's each time because there are Chili's restaurants in the US, and there are plenty of other cheaper cafes that are less busy, have better food and cost way less. But oh well. It was still good to see the others and wish them a Merry Christmas. I got back to my house and my host sister and 2 other family members had arrived. I had to stay in my host sister's room for the next two nights while the other family guests stayed in mine. Before bed we ended up watching a bunch of the Jeff Dunham ventriloquist videos on Youtube (with Spanish subtitles) until 2AM because our guests found them funny. I found myself laughing too and it was nice that we could understand the same jokes in two different languages. It had been awhile since I laughed with my host family so it felt good. I got up around 9:30-10 on Tuesday and Skyped home because my family and our closest family friends were having their Christmas Eve breakfast and I wanted to say hi. That afternoon I got ready to attend church at 8pm with my counselor. There was no way I was going to miss mass over Christmas so I was glad my counselor let my come with her. When I got back from church I skyped my dad for a little while so he could tell me how their mass and dinner at home was. I went downstairs after skyping to find more company/family. We socialized until dinner at 11:30. I actually enjoyed all the food- so that's good- and ate everything on my plate (which is rare for me here). At 12 we all gave hugs and kisses on the cheek while saying "Feliz Navidad!". Then everyone opened at least one gift. I stayed up talking with our guests until 2:30 or 3. At 9:50 on Wednesday morning my host-parents got me up to finish opening our family presents. For presents I got some bracelets, nail polish, lip gloss, and a new outfit. I gave my host family presents from NH including an ornament, shot glass, t-shirt, kitchen towel, NH state cookie cutter, license plate, and book with pictures of the different regions. After exchanging gifts, I went upstairs to find that the guests that had been staying in my room had already left. I moved my things back into my room and my host family went back to bed to sleep or watch movies. I started skyping my family back home when they were starting to open their stockings. I had each person open one present in front of me. My mom opened my stocking that my grandmother had put together for me. It was nice. After skyping them, I skyped my Gramma Reid on her new iPad, then my Mema and Pepa in Florida, then my best friend Tori, and messaged other people in between. I skyped my parents a second time later in the afternoon/evening, and talked through Skype to my Uncle Mike on his Facetime. My parents opened up the rest of the presents my Mema and Pepa had for me- my traditional ones- and then told me they would put any money that I received in my account for me. I ended up turning down an invitation to dinner with some friends and just chilled in my room for the evening, working on the following video, and only leaving the room to heat up some leftover tortellini that I had made for my lunch a few days earlier. That was my Christmas. I went to bed and that was it. It doesn't feel like it happened. But at the same time, I feel much better about this holiday than I did about Thanksgiving- at least they celebrate it here. I wasn't feeling so alone and other exchangers were in the same boat.

Everyone is now talking about what New Year's Eve parties they will be going to. I am still a little hung up on Christmas. I made this video on Christmas day as a kind of progression of my Christmases. It starts off kind of sad... my Christmas photos from when I was younger, and pictures of my closest friends at our annual Christmas party, and things that I am missing from home. The song 2,000 miles by Coldplay is the perfect song for this- I calculated and am approximately 3,323 miles from my home. I am fortunate that my home is in the same time zone though- that part makes life a lot easier for me. The video then turns into my Extraordinary Merry Christmas, with my pictures from my celebrations here. I really did enjoy my class Christmas party and the dinner/celebrations with my family on Christmas Eve and early Christmas morning. I can now say that I have spent Christmas in another country, in another culture, with new family and friends. I have made new memories, and though I prefer the traditions from home, I can appreciate the traditions and family time here in Ecuador too. And though there isn't snow or Christmas carols on the radio, there are still decorations and I was able to go to a Christmas mass and they have a few Spanish Christmas songs that we listened to. I even sang two songs- "Silent Night" and "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"- for my family before we opened presents at 12:30 on Christmas morning. After I sang, they all commented that I have a beautiful voice and that I should try out for The Voice or some singing competition when I return to the US. Anyways, the video is kind of a representation of the bitter-sweet Christmas I had, but showing that I am okay- I am happy. I made it through the holidays and I am still here. And now, I have new stories, memories, and traditions to bring back to my family. It is good practice now because one day, I won't be able to spend Christmas or other holidays with my family. I don't like the idea of the holidays without my parents and brother just because it's what I've always known- I think of Christmas, and the most important part of the celebration for me (besides recognizing the birth of Jesus) is being with my family. But one day I'll be too far, or I'll have to go to my husband's family for Christmas, or I'll have my own family to celebrate with- my parents and brother won't always be there to celebrate with me. I'll have brought some of my favorite traditions to other places and families, but will have gained new traditions as well. I look forward to bringing some of the Ecuadorian traditions back home with me for next year's Christmas.

P.S. I am sorry if the following video doesn't work. Apparently, Youtube says I have some copyright problems with the songs, even though I went through all the normal steps so that the video would work. I tried to change the settings so that it would work again, but Youtube is weird sometimes and still may not make the video playable. Either way, if you cannot view it and would still like to, send me an email so I can send the video to you that way.

Highlights of Weeks 14 & 15

First of all, I can't believe it's already DECEMBER! Another year has already flown by. Unbelievable!

Besides the two big days I've already posted about from week 14 (Thanksgiving and saying goodbye to Sarah) here are the other things that occupied my weeks: I went to Crossfit Monday-Thursday of week 14, had three volleyball games (two of which were losses), ate two fried ice creams, one each week, had five different skype conversations with my parents, grandparents, other family and friends, had three random days off schools, had my first presentation for a Rotary, went out to eat and shop with my host parents a few times, and did some Christmas things like sending my family's Christmas cards to them, creating the shutterfly Christmas cards for my mom to order back home, downloading some classic Christmas songs, and finally taking pictures at the big lit-up Christmas tree they put up each year in our city.

Crossfit- I am so happy that I started going because it has given me something to look forward to each evening, plus the fact that it's great exercise and I am totally getting stronger (I only went once during week 15) and going back on the next Monday was rough because I totally lost a little strength already). I also have made a couple friends at Crossfit, including one lovely woman who I partnered up with on her first class and talked with the whole time and helped her. She was so sweet and it was one of the perfect examples of people in Ecuador- they make you feel so welcome and at ease, even though my Spanish still isn't perfect. 

Volleyball- so the first game was on Wednesday of week 14 and we got there just to sit, and wait, and return to school because the other team forfeited by not showing up. This is probably the only reason we made it to the finals anyways. But the next week played in the semi-finals against Emaculate and lost (even I didn't play that great, probably because I woke up to my classmate asking if I was on my way to the game so I had to rush to put on my uniform and take a taxi there). We had one last game where we played for third. I really wanted to win because we had beaten Santa Maria the first game I played with the team, and I would have loved to take home a medal from volleyball in Ecuador. So, I played great. But my teammates...I'll put it nicely...they just don't know how to control the volleyball. So, if I didn't pass the ball or serve it, we normally lost the point. So that was pretty disappointing. 

Fried ice cream- Thank goodness #NoSugarNovember is over, because my friends and I discovered this place by the park that sells fried ice cream and it is seriously the most delicious thing ever. So delicious that when my parents mentioned getting fried ice cream a week later, and wondered where to find some, I told them right where to go. You pick your flavor ice cream that they have already covered in the batter, then they fry it in minutes and put it on a plate with some fruit and drizzle it with chocolate and strawberry sauce. Mmmm :) 

Skype- it is always wonderful to talk with my family and friends back home. I have had 3 hour conversations with some of my closest friends and family.

Three days off- I sleep or go to a friends house, nothing new there :) 

First rotary presentation- My presentation went really well. I got up there and shared a powerpoint of pictures of my home, friends, family, school, and hobbies from back home. From what I could tell, the Rotarians understood my Spanish and everything I said. A few Rotarians that knew I sing well, asked me to sing at the end of my presentation, which I was happy to do because I've found that after I sing for somebody I meet here, they remember that fact about me and it makes conversation after a lot easier. I guess it has become my ice-breaker tactic with Rotarians.

Out with my host parents- My host parents and I went out 4 or 5 different times over the two weeks for errands, shopping, and to get something to eat. I hadn't spent that much time with them in a while (I took a break from weekend parties) so it was good to get back to some "family time". I find that going out with them is always nice because I am more talkative with them when we are out than when I am at home (because truthfully, I am always in my room sleeping or on my laptop when I am at home). One of my favorite times with my host parents is when we go to the grocery store together on Sunday nights. I know it seems so simple, but I think that's why I like it so much. It makes me feel like this is my family and I am going grocery shopping with them and life is normal. Also, it is amazing how grocery shopping can strike up conversation about what they have in Ecuador compared to what I would buy at Hannafords and Walmart in the US. 

Christmas preparations- Well, the decorations have been up since early November, but there was still plenty to do. I bought Hallmark Christmas cards and translated them from Spanish to English and then sent them to my family back home. They have recieved them, which is a relief because I get nervous about the mailing service here in Ecuador. I have yet to recieve a couple cards from my grandparents and it's sad to think they might never arrive. Anyways, the past few years I have taken the liberty of doing my family's Christmas card to send out to all of our family and friends. It is something I really do enjoy doing- it's an artistic thing. So, I went on Shutterfly and picked some design options that I like and played around with the pictures and designs for a couple days before sending my favorites to my parents to choose the one we would use. This and downloading some new and classic Christmas music as helped the Christmas spirit a little bit. It is still so weird to me that it is Christmas time just because I am so used to hearing a bunch of Christmas music on the radio and the snow and just more of a joyous feeling in the US. Maybe it's because I am not at home with my mom's delishious Christmas goodies that she bakes. But I am doing my best to remember that this experience will be a positive one- I am getting to experience this holiday in a different culture. I may not be with my family, but I will be back next year. This is my chance to see how it's done in another country. I think that's cool. Part of seeing how it's done in Ecuador- I got to go see the big lit-up Christmas tree that they put up in one of the open parks near the mall in my city. It is the biggest one in Ecuador, and it is pretty incredible. They set up a bunch of fair games, a little train tour, tons of food stands, and even a few kiddy rides. And besides the tree, the whole park was decorated with lights, a nativity scene, and a little log cabin where everyone lined up to go see Santa. It was nice to see the space all decorated instead of it's usual empty dirt/grass space.


Photos of the big tree and Christmas fair:

Those Huevos Chilenos are sooooo good!!!! :)

And the paintings are by a guy using spray paint... it was cool to watch him make them. He is talented.

And finally...

Christmas Countdown: 12 days!!

A Lonely Thanksgiving

It was another emotional day for me- one of the times that my emotions have made me obnoxiously grumpy, and I apologize to those who dealt with my attitude on Friday morning as a result of the previous day.  

I took a recording on Thursday night to try and do a video blog. Let’s just say I ended up crying and I am not comfortable sharing the video and the state I was in. However, I decided to watch it again and type up most of what I said. Some parts may be repetitive as I was emotional and just saying what came to mind, but hopefully you get my points. Here we go:

“First of all, Happy Thanksgiving. I’ll admit, this is pretty hard for me. And I knew it would probably be one of the hardest things I’d have to deal with going on exchange just because I am such a big family person. I love my family very, very much. So being apart from them, especially on the holidays when they are all together and enjoying, is very difficult for me. They are such a big part of my life and being separate on the holidays is a big challenge for me.  

People talk about what Thanksgiving really means, and it’s being faithful for the opportunities that you have, the things that you have, all the blessings you have. And I am so very grateful to be here in Ecuador, I truly feel that. I am grateful for where I ended up, the host family I have right now, the times and experiences that I’ve had here so far, and I am going to get to experience more with the friends I have made- it’s just all been amazing and I have so much to look forward to. And I wouldn’t give up this opportunity for the world- it’s only one year away from my family- but even then it’s very hard. It’s the first year being apart from them. I am very thankful to be here, even though I don’t necessarily feel it right now.  It makes me think about the future, when I won’t be able to spend every Christmas with my grandparents, parents, and brother.

Of course, I tried to make things as normal as I possibly could. I stayed home from school and found a website to live-stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is always a favorite of mine.  And I am fortunate to have Skype, so I Skyped my family earlier this morning which was wonderful- but the vibe is still completely different when you aren’t sitting there talking to them all in person, enjoying their company.

It is hard to explain the customs back home because they are so different and it’s really frustrating to have people not understand how important these things are to you. Family means a lot here in Ecuador too. Family is everything to these people, really- they all pretty much live close by and talk about their relatives or spend time with them often. They get together for parties and the immediate family always has lunch together. You don’t see US families eating lunch or dinner together anymore. There is less and less family unity because they live so far apart, and they don’t put forth much effort to get together. That’s where I think the holiday season is so important in the states, just because it is the one time that families really do come together to share a meal, share presents, share company and  joy. That being said, for me to not be there, even with the close family I do have, it is hard. And the people here are not about to understand how a holiday like Thanksgiving is special, but back home they do. So I miss that.

I went out to our local Supermaxi last night to try and buy some food for a makeshift Thanksgiving dinner. I bought instant mashed potatoes, rolls, deli turkey, cranberry juice, and two different dessert options. They did sell turkeys, but I wasn’t about to buy a big one to cook and eat on my own. There was no gravy, cranberry sauce, squash, or pumpkin anything anyways.

We (me and the other American exchange students in my city) tried to organize a nice Thanksgiving dinner for all of us in the two Machala Rotary clubs, but we never pulled it together as the others didn’t seem to care about or understand the holiday and nobody was willing to skip school like I was to celebrate (which I found odd). They even suggested doing it on Saturday but I knew that doing it after the holiday would just feel ridiculous.

All I wanted was to recognize the holiday! I stayed home, thinking of my family because I didn’t want to be stuck in a class while trying to explain to the other students why I was upset, only for them to not understand and tell me to cheer up. I wasn’t going to deal with it.

I guess in the end, I was most upset about the letdown of being alone all day.  I had plans all set for my friend to come over after school so we could put together the food I bought, watch some DVDs, and just enjoy. But there I was at 5pm, texting her and asking if she still planned on coming over. Her response was “I don’t think so”. And this was just another blow to my day, reiterating the fact that what is normally an important holiday for me just wasn’t understood by others who don’t celebrate it. I just felt so alone, and hurt that she didn’t keep our plans, especially when I could have used the distraction from the loneliness. Not only did it make the food that I brought pointless without someone to share it with, but at that point, I was in no mood to eat such a poor excuse for the meal I would normally eat at home with my family. Of course, Thanksgiving shouldn’t be about the food, it’s about the atmosphere and the idea of giving thanks to the abundance of food that you are eating and the family around the table, alive and ready to indulge with you. But I still thought it would be nice to try and represent the food at home, and laugh with my friend about what I would normally be eating, and to have a happier atmosphere while sharing my usual traditions with her and thanking her for keeping me company. But that didn’t happen.

I am predicting that Christmas and New Years are going to be tough for me as well; they will be my true test. Because it’s not like I am going home, I have zero intentions of going home early, but it is certainly where my heart is on this Thanksgiving Day. And I feel bad for getting upset but then again, I have a right to feel this way, don’t I? I have never spent a Thanksgiving without my family, or a Christmas without them.  And for me, spending a holiday alone has got to be the worst feeling in the world- it is so tough. Because you want to celebrate but you can’t seriously enjoy celebrating a holiday alone; you can celebrate, but I can’t find much enjoyment in it. It’s like the home alone movie now makes total sense to me- I now understand just how awful it feels to spend the holiday alone. But what can I do? I can’t take a plane home for the day. It just won’t happen.

The only positive thing I can think to say is that maybe, maybe, Christmas will be a little easier. I say that because at least here in Ecuador they do celebrate Christmas and they celebrate it with plenty of parties, food, and family. It is still celebrated with different customs and traditions, but I think I may enjoy Christmas here because at least the people will understand the significance of the Christmas holidays and believe what I do. I will miss my family no doubt, but I will not be alone, and I will have some similarities to home as well as other events to distract me a little from focusing on what I am missing out on at home. And the majority of exchange students will be in the same boat over the holidays just because Christmas is more widely celebrated and we will all be missing home at this time. We can help each other get through it.”

That is where I stopped the video. I was thinking too much about everything and had to get tissues for the tears that had started running down my face halfway through the video.  Honestly, typing it out for you all was a better idea just because you can understand what you’re reading instead of trying to decipher my sniffy, mumbled speech.

I feel fine now that the holiday has come and gone, and I think it was important to share this post for two reasons. One, it shows my true emotions and thoughts of dealing with holidays on exchange, and two, it is good way to look back and remind myself to focus on the positives. This experience really shows you and reminds you of the things at home that you often take for granted or forget. It helps you realize what is most important in your life, and what you want to make sure you cherish when you return home. I have always cherished my family but it is just so clear how important they are to me right now while I am living miles away from them and having to do things more on my own. I certainly don’t think I’ll ever want to be away from them on the holidays in the future, if I can help it. P.S. I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving day no matter where in the world you were, what you ate, or who you celebrated with (I hope you weren’t alone). 

Already Saying Goodbye

First of all, two days ago, December 2, 2013, was my 100^th day on exchange! WOO! 1/3 of my exchange is already over. It is amazing how fast it flies by.

Second of all, this is a long post coming at you. If you can stay with me all the way to the end- that's great- but if you'd rather just read about my experience of saying goodbye, that's fine too, just stop at the disclaimer paragraph. 

On Sunday December 1^st, I accompanied my friend Sarah to the city of Guayaquil and then to the airport where I had to say goodbye before she boarded the plane back to France. She didn’t do anything wrong, and I won’t go into the details, but Sarah was not happy here in Ecuador and was excited to be going home. She did say she would miss three friends- Simone, Karen and I- but that was about it.

This is the second situation that I’ve been in where I just couldn’t understand how I was feeling because I had so many thoughts and emotions running through my mind at once. Earlier that morning, I watched as Sarah loaded the car and said goodbye to her second host parents (that she had only lived with for the past week) and get in the car of her first host family who was taking us to Guayaquil without any hesitation or emotion. She had left her Rotary blazer, French flag, business cards, school uniform and Panama hat in the house, saying she didn’t want to bring them home because she wouldn’t use them. Karen and Simone couldn’t make the trip to Guayaquil with us, but I was glad Sarah had at least one friend, someone she cares about, there to say goodbye. I helped Sarah with her carry-on bag while she checked in her larger suitcase, then we made our way to the checkpoint where only passengers with tickets can enter. It was time…

I turned to Sarah and gave her a huge hug and kiss on the cheek. We broke apart for me to tell her to take care and don’t forget to text me when you get home safely. We embraced a second time, and I told her that I better see her again one day when she invites me to visit France. She then hugged her former host mom (the only other person that accompanied us to the airport) and came back to give me one last hug. I told her I’d miss her and I love her. She said the same back to me- the only difference was that she was smiling when I had a disappointed expression on my face. We broke from the hug and she turned around to head into the checkpoint. Her host mother and I watched as she walked a little ways, turned back to wave, and then continued on to hand the security guard her customs slip before slipping around the corner.

Saying goodbye is never easy. I did not cry, but I felt my muscles tighten to hold back any emotions as she walked away. This is one thing that they don’t prepare you for in orientation. What do you do when a friend leaves their exchange- especially when it is earlier than expected? Whether they got in trouble by breaking the rules, or they are leaving voluntarily, or they are too homesick to continue… the circumstance doesn’t matter because the result is the same- you have to say goodbye.

The relationship I had with Sarah was finally at a point where we understood each other really well. At first it was tough because she doesn’t speak much English and I speak maybe 20 words of French so the foundation of our communication and friendship was in Spanish. We were at a place where she was comfortable spending time with me and where we joked around with each other in Spanish. She even taught me to say some Spanish phrases in French. I do want to believe that I will see Sarah again later in life. I hope that I can meet up with her in my future travels. And I hope above all that she keeps in touch throughout the rest of the year, because I am going to miss her being here.

Being at the airport with Sarah and watching her go got me thinking. How will I spend my last day here? How will the ride to the airport be? Who will say goodbye to me? What’s the last food I’ll eat in Ecuador? Who is the last person I’ll hug? Will I cry? Will I be excited to see my family after so long? I was glad to be there and support her as a friend. I am glad she had someone to hug and mean it when she said “I’ll miss you”. But just because I was glad to be a friend for Sarah doesn’t take away how weird it felt to be saying goodbye to someone I thought I would be hanging out with for the next 7 months. Being there, knowing that I have another 200 days to go before I am the one turning around for the airplane, it felt very wrong. It made me uncomfortable to be honest. Ecuador and I have unfinished business- there is no way I could decide to go home only after 1/3 of my exchange.

The majority of people that go on exchange will tell you the same thing- the first three months are the toughest! You have the challenge of adjusting to a new country, of course that is far from easy. When you go to orientation, you are told time and time again that you have people to support you through the hard times and that once you get past the rough, you will have the best time of your life. You are told to mentally prepare yourself for what’s to come, so that you can recognize your situation and overcome the problems in the best way possible. But it doesn’t work out for everyone.

I want to make a disclaimer on this next section until the end and just say that I am in no way being insensitive towards Sarah or anyone who ends up going home after three months of exchange, especially if the circumstances are bad. I am only sharing my opinion and why I couldn’t decide to leave my exchange after three months for circumstances that can be overcome in the future months like not knowing enough of the language, not being ready for these emotions, or having too much trouble with homesickness. I am sure everyone has their own feeling towards this, but I would like to share mine:

I guess I have a hard time understanding how a person can leave after three months of exchange, when they have barely given it a chance. The hard stuff should be starting to grow easier, thus making your time spent more enjoyable by the beginning of the fourth month. I know of people who have left their exchange in really bad shape and I fully believe that they made the right decision to leave. There absolutely are circumstances where leaving is really the only option. And I respect that. And maybe I have a more hopeful or positive mindset, thinking that things will get better, but I personally can’t imagine leaving this experience, something that I planned and prepared for, spent a lot of money on, and my family and friends have accepted, just to come back after 3 months.

Here is my analogy-it’s like paying for an amusement park ride, telling all of your family and friends you are going on this amazing 3000 ft ride, only to ride the first 1000 feet of the ride, feel scared, and decide to get off before the rest of it- before getting to the good part. What do you tell your family and friends when you get back not having finished the ride? I personally would regret not riding the whole thing! And what happens to the people- any new friends you made- on the first part of the ride? How do they react to you leaving? It just seems like so much more effort to stop the ride than to brave it out until the better part of the ride. Or better yet, at least ride 2/3 of the ride. By that point, you have a better judgment of whether the ride gets better or is just going to leave you disappointed and feeling like you wasted time. But this “ride” is an experience to learn and grow, and making it through the bad times is much more rewarding than giving up. Even a hard ride is one you should be proud of if you make it through. I wouldn’t call that disappointing or a waste of time- I’d call it an accomplishment. I feel like leaving after three months is admitting defeat, or admitting that you weren’t prepared for exchange, weren’t prepared to accept the challenge, the change, the distance, the new life. And I am not saying exchange is a competition. But I see completing a year in another country as a success- something not everyone can do. No, it doesn’t always work out. Not everyone is ready. But I signed up for the whole ten months; I paid for the whole amusement park ride. To me, that is the confirmation that I am ready for the experience, ready to be an exchange student. It’s my mindset. And if you arrive on exchange and aren’t ready, you either embrace a new mindset- push through, and make yourself ready- or you are negative and admit you weren’t ready from the start.

3 months is a short amount of time. How can a person possibly develop a completely enjoyable and problem free exchange in three months’ time? You can’t! Most people are still trying to get accustomed to their new life up until the end of the holidays, when the make it through any homesickness or culture shock from the difference in traditions and the separation from family back home. And in three months, how many people are going to see you to the airport? Sarah had 2 people with her. And she didn’t even take home any souvenirs of her time spent here! They weren’t important to her because from day 1 she was negative about being in Ecuador.

I want this experience not only to impact my life, but impact the other lives around me. I want the 20+ people I care for most and become close with on this exchange journey to be at the airport to hug me goodbye,  just as I hope they want to be there hugging me back. I want to be sad to leave- I can already tell by how I felt at the airport with Sarah that it will be an emotional and bitter sweet experience for me when the time comes. I want leaving to be significant. I want to take souvenirs with me. And I think that it means so much more when you have affected the people and the country as much as they have affected you. That’s why I am here. To grow and learn and have this unique experience become a part of who I am, a part of my history, a special memory, a new skill and language, a second family, home and culture. Not many people can say they have a home and a family in two different countries. It takes time to develop that kind of relationship. That is why this experience is 10 months long. Through this experience my hope is that I develop this kind of relationship. I hope I can come home saying that I do have a home in Ecuador that I can return to and feel positive about. I say this because I want students to know what they are signing up for. There are challenges, but the rewards of an exchange year will follow you well into the future. The power of the mind is such an incredible thing. I really believe that my exchange is going so well because I take everything in with my positive mindset, even if emotionally I disagree. For example, my emotions are sad to be away from my family on the holidays, but my mindset is keeping me strong, reminding me of the positives, the reasons I am here, and reminding me that I will have holidays with my family next year. 

In closing, I want to say that I will always encourage people to look into exchange, but I also trust and pray that through the interview process and orientations, the students are honest with their district coordinators and with themselves so that they don't make a mistake. I just think going for a little while and coming home is much more disappointing than being honest from the start and saying "I am not ready". But that is easier said than done I'm sure, and something that I feel the students don't think about when all they hear are the positive and glorified stories of travel and language and friendships from the rebound students. I will also bring up that maybe it is about the age of the student as well. I keep saying that the gap year option is the best choice I have ever made. My friend Sarah arrived at age 16 and just turned 17 a few weeks before leaving. I am 18 and my birthday is in May. Being even 1 or 2 years older than most of the students here has made me look at how much more maturity and knowledge I have than the younger ones... And how much responsibility I take sometimes to watch out for the naïve ones as they go out thinking that nothing bad can happen to them. I even hear the younger students complaining about their host families and all the problems they have, and I listen politely but think... “Wow I don't have any of these issues” or “I would have handled that situation so much more maturely or respectfully”.

Just some food for thought if you are prospective exchange student- Ask yourself the following: Why are you going on exchange and what are you looking to get out of it? How do you feel about leaving behind school friends and family for this duration of time?  Are you doing this for you or are your parents telling you to? What is your mindset, or how would you handle a situation such as homesickness or a tough host family? If you answer honestly, and don’t feel the need to lie to yourself or others if a question concerns you, then I think you will be able to overcome the challenges of exchange in order to have an amazing time. Remember, there is a big difference between anxiousness and doubt. If you doubt your ability to make it through the year abroad, you’re thinking too much about what you will be missing at home, are perhaps negative about the country placement, or don’t want to put in any effort to study the language before leaving; maybe you need to re-evaluate your decision to go. 

Highlights of Weeks 12 & 13

Starting from the beginning- On Monday of week 12 there was a singing competition at my school. I wrote a little about it in my talent show post. I ended up singing at the end of the competition for the entire school. I think it went well and I am glad I put my talent out there for my peers.

The other accomplishment on that Monday was my decision to go to Crossfit for the first time. I was really sore afterwards, so I ended up going again on Wednesday and then waiting until Monday of the next week to go again.

I was supposed to have a volleyball game on Wednesday of week 12 but it got moved to Friday. I was disappointed because I was looking forward to playing. I went to school on Friday really excited to play finally since it had been a week, but our game was postponed again. I was so mad, because I only came to school that day for volleyball. I wouldn't have gone otherwise because they were starting exams, and I have to sit outside the classroom doing nothing while they take them. BORING.

Thursday night was the start of our exchange student get-togethers for every other week. One night, my host mom and I were talking about the fact that at first I didn't go out much, and how some of the more reserved exchange students never leave their house. My mom then mentioned that in years past, the exchange students in Machala would make it a point of meeting up for dinner every other week or so. "The other exchange students are like your family," she said, "you need to spend time with them. They help to keep you going." She is right. And so, I put out on our Machala exchange student group page on Facebook that we should start this tradition every-other week for ourselves. Everyone liked the idea, and we planned our first outing for Chili's that night. I think it went well and we will hopefully coordinate our next get-together soon.

Friday night I didn't go out or do anything. But Saturday at 5pm, I went to the mall with my friend Sarah to shop for something new to wear to the party we had that night. I got a new top and she bought a dress. Then we came back and got ready to go the birthday party of our exchange friend Heitor from Brazil. We danced and had a pretty good time. Sarah and another friend Lilia slept over after the party.

On Sunday my friends left between 11am and noon. I had to get dressed in 2 minutes to go to my host dad's brother's house for lunch. We were celebrating his birthday. When we got there, I ended up making plans with friends and left before we even sat down for lunch. My school friends and I went to watch soccer and my friend Pamela played in a game herself. Then we went to another friend's house to hang out and I left at 9:45 to come home.

Week 13 was different because they were having exams at school and I didn't have to go. Instead I slept until 10 or 11, ate lunch, worked on projects on my laptop, and went to Crossfit every night (except for Friday) at 7pm. I was sore all week, but it felt good to go.

On Wednesday, our internet crashed right before I was able to send the video I had made for the presentation my counselor was doing on exchange back home at my former high school. You can check out the video and more details about that in my previous post. Anyways, I was so upset about the video not loading in time, and I was even going to try and Skype in but then the internet just crashed. I ended up going to my friend Simone's house to sleep over because she invited me when I told her I didn't have wifi. We had a good time because we went to Crossfit together and watched a movie (and I had internet). 

On Thursday Simone and I went for haircuts. I will not go into details because I already talked about this experience in my previous post "A Bad Haircut".

So back at my house on Friday, two guys came to fix the internet. They fixed it, but I was home alone when they came and I was always told not to let anyone in, so I had to call my host dad numerous times to make sure it was okay to let them in, and then to figure out different information the guys needed because I don't know the specific technology terms in Spanish. My host parents left for Guayaquil on Friday afternoon, leaving me to stay with our maid Consuelo for the weekend. I had asked to stay home for the weekend because of the parties on Saturday that my friends and I wanted to attend.

Friday night I went out with the daughter of Consuelo not knowing what I was actually going to. We ended up meeting Consuelo at a pageant of her other daughter at her school. I have never liked the whole pageant/beauty queen stuff, and maybe it's just because of where I am from, but it seems to me that these events happen every weekend here in Ecuador. It's a culture difference for sure, because these events are so popular and they pretty much have a queen of everything here in Ecuador. No joke- there is a queen of tuna in this country. A queen of TUNA! Now, I find these events ridiculous and boring. The girls get all primped and half of them look ridiculous and they sound silly when they have to answer those questions. But the people here obviously enjoy them, because I have already seen 2 and I am sure I will witness more before I leave.

Saturday I chilled out. Then my friends Lilia and Simone came over to get ready for the party we were going to (I was already dressed to leave and they were super late to show up). We went together to a party with a Hollywood theme. I was under the impression that the party was at our usual spot, but it was actually at the house of the party host- we were at a birthday party! I didn't know the birthday girl, nor did I meet her at her own party. It was a huge party though- it was even advertised on Instagram (yeah they promote their parties big time in South America haha) and to get in you had to go through the security guard at the door and pay a fee. It was like a club! This was probably one of my favorite parties yet because we were dancing the whole time! The music was great.

Sunday I woke up to an empty house- Consuelo had left for her other job- so I chilled on the couch for a while. Then I went to the movies with a school friend and saw Thor 2 for the 3rd time (and in Spanish again- I have yet to see it in English!) because we missed the Hunger Games 2 show time. I am not really a fan of the Hunger Games either but I would have enjoyed something new. My parents returned home from Guayaquil and I went to sleep because of school the next morning.

So Far; 3 Months on Exchange!

I want to quickly explain this blog post before you start reading below or watching the video. Angela Webster, my sponsor club counselor and a good friend of mine, recently had to do a presentation about Rotary Youth Exchange to foreign language students at Inter-Lakes High School (where I graduated from) who have an interest in the program. Her presentation was last Wednesday, and a few weeks before the presentation, she had asked if I could Skype with her or do a little something to add to her presentation. She said she didn't want to bore people. Well, I can say that I experienced a similar presentation about the program as a junior in high school, and I was anything but bored. No- the exciting and intruiging presentation ended up being the last thing I needed to make the decision and go on exchange. And because it influenced me so much, I was determined to give her something that I hoped would help convince others to take this opportunity as well. So, I ended up making a video and wrote a little something for her to present for me. Unfortunately, I had some technical issues and was unable to send her the video in time. But she was able to read what I said during her presentation and send the video to the language classes as a follow up to the presentation (when it finally uploaded). Now, as you probably already know from my blog, I could write for days and days. In fact, I could compose a bunch of persuasive essays and points about why exchange is so amazing right now. I wont do that for you, but I do want to show you the video I put together because I think it says a lot of what I wanted to say without all the words. Besides, we can't let all my hard work on the video go to waste can we? Not only is the video a sort of 3-month review of my time here so far, but what I wrote as an introduction and conclusion to the video is as true as it gets. This experience is totally worth it. And finally, I really hope that if anyone out there is interested in exchange- be it from my home town, or somewhere else in the country or even the world- that they consider what I say in this post, that they consider the significance of the video, and that they aren't afraid to contact me with questions. And to those of you reading this from my host district back home- I hope to see some of you at exchange orientation when I get back!

Without further ado, here is what I sent to be shared with the students:  

Hola a todos. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Megan Reid and I was a student at Inter-Lakes and graduated with the class of 2013. I am currently on a gap year and am living this year of my life as a Rotary youth exchange student in the country of Ecuador.  I’m assuming the fact that you’re here for this presentation is a good sign; a sign that you are curious or interested in going on exchange and I am just the person to convince you to go.

So- you’re interested in exchange? First of all- if you aren’t my Facebook friend yet- add me. And if you don’t have my email, send me a comment so I can send it to you, or you can probably find it somewhere on my blog. That being said, you are more than welcome to email/message me and ask me questions, and if you want, I can talk your ear off about how awesome exchange is. But I am hoping I won’t need to do that after this whole presentation.

Exchange is by far the best decision I have ever made IN MY LIFE. I can’t even begin to describe to you just how amazing this year has been for me so far and how much better it keeps getting.

I want to show you a small portion of the life I am living right now with a video of pictures (it’s 2 songs long), depicting life on exchange- and trust me this isn’t even half of the pictures I have and I didn’t even include video. But before you see it, I want to say that even after watching this; you still won’t fully understand or appreciate the life I am living right now. I say that because the experience is different for everyone, and yet it is so unique that only people who have gone on exchange can relate. I guess the simplest way to say it is; you aren’t living this exchange...I am. 

So, how can one comprehend the feeling of living in a new country with a new family and a new school and a new language and a new culture and new food and pretty much new EVERYTHING if they haven’t done it? Well, you just have to go on exchange and experience it for yourself.

The video:

Though I can tell you about all of my experiences, share every picture and video; it is still up to you to decide to go on exchange for your own experiences and memories. If what you saw in the presentation intrigued you, excited you, made you jealous, made you want to have your own completely unique, special and fantastic life abroad, then all I have to say is- go on exchange! If you want a bunch of friends from around the world, if you want to be fluent in a language, if you want to become a more cultured person, if you want to promote peace in the world, if you want to strut around in a blazer covered in different pins and have people stare at you like “who the heck is that foreigner”, if you want connections so that you can travel around the world later in life, if you want to have unique stories and memories that will last a lifetime- I repeat- go on exchange!!!

Don't pass up the opportunity. If you are ready for it, go sign up- go out as a junior. If you still have doubts, maybe consider a gap year instead. But remember that the option is there. Write to me and I’ll happily and honestly respond to you with my thoughts. Talk to your parents. Go to your guidance counselor so they can help you figure out if this is an opportunity that you can take- if you are ready and if your schedule allows it. Most importantly, do not be afraid of the experience if the interest is there. It may be 10 months abroad- but time flies. And one more thing- exchange isn’t a year in your life; it’s a life in a year. 



P.S. This is completely unrelated- but HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Mema. I love you so much! Thank you for all of your prayers and support. 
I also want to wish all of my family and friends back home a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. I will be thinking of all of you and missing you all. Know that I am thankful to have all of you in my life. And I thank God for this experience I am living right now.<3

A Bad Haircut

Warning: I kind of rant in this post and I apologize for that because I was having a really hard time expressing myself in a way that could be understood. But it was something I really wanted to write about to see if it could help organize all the thoughts and emotions in my head. I hope what I wrote made a little sense.

So, yesterday I decided that it had been long enough and I really needed to go get my hair trimmed. In the US, I would go every 6-8 weeks to cut the dead ends off my hair so it could keep growing and have a healthier appearance. The last time I got my hair done was in the beginning of August, before I left for Ecuador. I figured it had been a little over three months and it was time to clean up the ends of my hair so that it could keep growing longer because I really want long hair.

Simone and I went to the peluquería together because she wanted a trim as well. I went first, and we told the women to just cut the ends of my hair and “only a little”. I am used to “only a little” meaning taking off as little as possible while getting rid of the dead ends- so a maximum of 1 inch is normally taken off. At this particular shop, “only a little” ended up being 2+ inches. And I know I sound like such a “stereotypical girl” right now, but 2+ inches makes a huge difference in hair length and I can’t stand how much shorter my hair appears and feels. So this frustrated me a bit after having grown my hair out for a while.

But what really made me mad is the second part of this story. While cutting my hair, the hair dresser suggested cutting a few pieces around the front shorter, kind of like side bangs. Now, usually I like change and some style to my hair. Usually, I would say, “oh it's just hair, it grows back”. But I was very unsure about saying yes. I was literally squirming in my seat, listening to Simone and the hairdresser telling me it would look fantastic and be a nice change. I just wanted to say no and leave my hair alone since the hairdresser had already shortened my hair significantly. But after some debate, I gave in to their insisting and finally just said "go for it, I am on exchange after all”.

As soon as the hair was cut, I regretted the decision completely. This is the first experience that I have had so far in Ecuador where “just going for it” has backfired. I should be laughing, honestly. It's not as awful as I make it seem even though I feel like I have never hated a haircut so much in my life. I am not even going to post a picture because I can’t smile while taking one. I have been an emotional mess about this whole thing for the past day and getting upset about it is driving me crazy, and I hate feeling like this every time I look at my hair. But the thing is, I have had this style before, and now I remember just how much I eventually hated it. The short pieces of hair are always in your face, so you have to deal with them or clip them back somehow (which is impossible with my hair). The pieces aren't long enough to fit into a pony tail so you have to straighten them or they look terrible, and these same pieces continue to be a pain until they have grown out and can be styled back with the rest of the hair. Oh, and did I mention that after coming back from my sleepover with Simone, I now can’t find my straightener. JUST PERFECT. It disappears when I need it most. I have literally looked everywhere and the maid doesn’t remember moving it, even though I remember exactly where it was before I left.

So yes, I am mad; mad at myself for letting them convince me to do it, mad for trusting their opinions, and mad for telling myself to “go for it”. Every time I try and tell myself otherwise, that I look fine and my decision wasn’t a bad one, I end up crying angry tears. And here I am, writing this post because I am obviously not over it. And to top it off, I haven’t been having the best of luck over the past few days either- our internet was broken for two days, right when it was necessary for me to Skype home and cry to them about my mistake decision.

Now this whole thing may sound stupid to you. She’s crying over a haircut that isn’t even that terrible. (OH but it feels like it IS). But really, I have reflected long and hard about why I am so upset, and I now realize that what I am feeling is so much more than just hatred for the decision to get a haircut.   

It is so much more because the change to my hair has sparked two realizations that make me even more emotional; 1) realizing that this exchange experience in Ecuador is real, that I am actually living here and I have 7 months to go and 2) realizing that I am changing a lot in all aspects of my life-both mind & body.

I think I am upset that I got rid of the hairstyle that I left home with; like the change I made represents that Ecuador is my official home now and the US is forgotten. Of course, I will never stop considering home to be where my true family is located. I would never forget them or the US, ever. But it's like I finally got over this surreal feeling I’ve had since I arrived, the feeling that I am going home any day now because I have been here for so long. I have finally accepted that Ecuador is where I will be for the next 7 months and I actually haven’t been here long at all. It is as if changing my hair is a symbol that I have embraced living here, that after adapting to the new language, culture, food, home, family, etc., I finally let the last part of me (my hair) become property of Ecuador as well. And in doing so, accepting and fitting into normalcy here, I realize just how much I really have changed and how much more I will change before returning home a new version of myself. This scares me because I like who I am and I don’t want to lose myself and stop representing where I come from. Of course, there was no way I wouldn’t have cut my hair all year- just like there is no way I wouldn’t change from this experience. But what the haircut made me realize is how quickly I have adapted and changed and I don’t want to move on from home so quickly. I am happy to be here and don’t want to leave, but I am sad to be realizing just how much longer I have to be away from my home and family. I miss them.

I guess what I am trying to say is that, I think getting this haircut has convinced me that this exchange is really happening to me, that I am living in Ecuador for real- a fact that didn’t seem possible before- and that I am here for the whole 10 months and can’t turn back now. And in the end, not liking the outcome of the haircut just adds the aspects of anger and disappointment to my scared and sad emotions, because I believe that if I were at home in the US, I would have stuck to my first decision and would have been less likely to say “go for it” when I already had a plan. This is just one example of a change in me, this “go for it” attitude. And it’s not just internal- my hair is a visual representation of this change, everyone can see it and I can’t hide it. It isn’t something to be ashamed of necessarily, but I just look in the mirror and I don’t like the style and I immediately miss the way it was before, the way it was before I left home. Does that even make sense? I really don’t have a way to end this paragraph because I am still confused about what this means for me and how to explain the feelings that I can't seem to shake at the moment. 

Don’t worry; you’ll get a picture of the haircut eventually, maybe when I am not upset about how it looks.

Talent Show Performance

So, I mentioned a couple posts back that I sang during the talent show on the exchange student trip to Manabí. Well, luckily for me, my friends Kelty and Cara recorded me singing Adele's "Turning Tables" and emailed it to me. I have proof! I performed the song a cappella in front of all the Ecuador exchange students and the Rotarians that were there. It is because of this performance and jumping up for karaoke the night before that the Rotarians asked me to sing at the final talent show on our last trip in May.

Also, this is the song I just sang at my school's singing competition this past Monday- yes it was in front of the entire school. The contest was "So you think you can sing", and two students from each course chose to sing a song in their second language (either English or French). They told me I could sing but they said I couldn't count in the judging since English is my first language (yeah I guess it's only fair). I actually had background music when I sang it at school, but I don't know if anyone got a video of it. Either way, it was fun and I think I performed it well.

That being said, I figured I should share the recording of my first performance with you. Enjoy!

Highlights of Weeks 10 & 11

I know it’s only been like two weeks, but it feels like forever since I posted last. I have just had so many plans (this is partially true but I have also just been putting it off some). I decided to add some pictures in my blog post since not everyone follows me on Facebook or Instagram and I don't want to transfer all of these pictures from the other sites to my shutterfly.

SOOOO

The beginning of week 10 I spent two days with Simone doing what we usually do- eating chocolate, watching movies, taking photos, and doing each other’s make-up and hair before going out. 

We were bored Monday night and decided to have a mini photo-shoot. You can find the rest of these photos on my shutterfly page under week 10.

Wednesday night was a special and somewhat emotional evening for me. I made it a point of staying home that night and finding a website to live-stream the final World Series game, which obviously was worth it because the Red Sox won for the first time in 95 years at home, in Boston’s Fenway Park. I am still not exactly sure why I became so emotional about the win, but perhaps it was the combination of overwhelming pride for my “home city” (I tell all the Ecuadorians I am from “near Boston” because they usually know where Boston is), sadness for missing the celebration, the unity, and thoughts about “Boston Strong” and my friends at colleges in Boston. It was such a significant win for all Boston fans and the city itself, and in that moment, I just felt like I didn’t belong in Ecuador because it wasn't of any importance to the people here.

Sox Pride:

Starting Friday November 1^st, I started the #NoSugarNovember challenge that my cousin back in the states decided to do and put out there for friends to attempt as well. I decided to take the challenge international and try it here in Ecuador. You can pretty much choose how dedicated to the challenge you want to be- either cutting back a little, half way, or going all out and not having any sugar. I decided that as an exchange student, my major sugar problems were all the artificial and excess sugars like ice cream, chocolate, cakes/tarts, and candies. So I made the decision to try and avoid eating those things.  I also said I would try to cut back on the bread since we eat so much of that as well. My first weekend on the challenge didn’t go to well…

On Friday, my host parents, Simone, Frodo and I made the winding and sickening trip to the city of Cuenca for the weekend of fiestas. Despite my carsickness, the trip there was worth the incredible weekend I had. Simone and I went out Friday night with friends; we went out all day Saturday to the craft fair, the center, and the mall; and we went out bowling that evening with friends then went to sleep over at an extra apartment of one of my classmate’s. We ate bread, chocolate, ice cream, and more bread. Cuenca is known for having the best bread and sweets in Ecuador so I was destined to have a rough start with the #NoSugarNovember thing. I was also lucky enough to arrange to go out Sunday for lunch with Emily Monslave, a friend of mine from Cuenca who was an exchange student last year in my home district and stayed with my family for a weekend while on a Rotary sponsored trip to our area. It was great to reunite with her in her own country and meet her generous family who kindly invited me and Simone to lunch with them and then to their house for a little while before we had to head home. It was also really cool to be speaking Spanish with her and her family when she was speaking English with me and my family a little over a year ago. It’s these kinds of connections that are really special to me on exchange.

 Pictures from Cuenca:

P.S. I just had to buy this cute little piggy in a store in Cuenca. I named him EcuaThorian. Half of you wont understand the significance of that and I am not about to explain. It's still cute...

Monday of week 11 I went to my monthly Rotary meeting to obtain my $80 allowance (which is already gone L) and to make sure everyone was on the same page about what is expected from us exchangers this month of November. Tuesday afternoon my friend Sarah from France showed Simone and me this café she recently discovered here in Machala called Club 07. Oh my goodness it was like heaven; they had options for wraps, sandwiches, lasagna, REAL salad, and delicious fruit batidos. After that we went and walked around and enjoyed each other’s company in a nearby park until it was time to go home.  Wednesday at school I realized why there had been so many events going on lately that interrupt classes- it’s the 37th anniversary of Principito & Marcel Laniado de Wind. Apparently every anniversary is celebrated in this manner. On that day it was my classes turn to do their open house presentations. Well, I was bored out of my mind, literally just sitting there under the tent while my classmates presented to parents and staff. So I got to get out early and go to the mall instead where I bought something that I have been missing dearly- peanut butter. That’s right. I am keeping it in a bag in my room with a spoon so that every once and awhile I can just have a spoonful of love. Thursday I didn’t have classes but I did have to run some errands and take out the rest of the money needed to pay our club coordinator for the optional Amazon trip that I decided I want to go on.

Me and Mishel before their open house (& before I left):

Friday I didn’t have classes but I did have something special- a volleyball game. I got up at 8am to go with my host mom to get a number printed on my gym shirt so that I could play. Our school has three different volley teams; the boys’ team, the younger girls’ team, and the older girls’ team. I am on the team with the older girls. I arrived at the coliseum where I was told to meet, not knowing what to expect because I was only told about where to be and when by Simone the day before. I hadn’t even talked to the coach since I had given him my papers weeks before.  I arrived early, so I sat on the bleachers and watched as the younger girls’ team was playing. Soon enough, the girls from my team showed up. When it was our turn to take the court, the couch turned to me and said, if you can serve overhand-do it. He didn’t even question my abilities or understanding of the game. He confidently put me in the number one spot over another player and handed me the ball. Now, none of the volleyball teams here have an incredible amount of skill, in fact, watching them play reminds me of watching a poor junior high game (yeah they really are bad), but there were a couple girls on my team that could at the very least handle serving underhand and attempting to pass the ball over the net. Well, you can imagine their excitement when my over-hand serve was putting us in the lead- something they had rarely experienced before. The coach also had me pushed all over the court so that I would receive the majority of served balls so that we didn’t lose points that way. I even got a back-row kill on a ball that I just instinctively went for. I was pleasantly surprised when our team won the game after two sets in a row! All the girls were so excited, and I was happy to have helped and gotten to play, even if it wasn’t a highly competitive game. It was also nice to be playing normal volleyball again with 6 people on the court, a rotation, and a normal ball and net instead of the Ecua-volley with 3 players, a different scoring system, a net that is 2.80 meters high, and a soccer ball.

Friday morning I also managed to send 3 letters that will hopefully make it home to some family members. It cost $2.50 for each letter. That night I ate a big dinner out with my family. One of the coolest things about Ecuador is the fact that all the restaurants here are so informal. People literally transform the patio areas out front of their house into dining areas where they feed you a lot of food for very cheap. The place we went to had the best meat I have had in a while, yuca (or cassava) with mayo, and a plate of half beans, half rice. I ate it ALL. Saturday afternoon I went to the mall (where the movie theater is) to see Thor 2. I thought it was great. Later that night I got all dressed up like a true Ecuadorian and went out to a club called the Preli to celebrate birthdays of a couple friends. We had a lot of fun dancing together. 

My trying to be Ecuadorian look: 

Sunday morning my host mom woke me up to say that they were decorating the tree with Gaby (my host sister) and asked if I wanted to help. I was glad I got to help with this part of the decoration process since pretty much everything else has already been decorated by my host parents, including half of our downstairs living area that has been overtaken by little village houses. My host dad was extremely cryptic about putting his precious village together- he does it every year and buys new accessories every year as well- but it does look pretty amazing now that it’s complete. After decorating, my family wanted to see Thor 2 so I said I would gladly see it again. The first time I saw it with Sarah was in Spanish, so I was kind of hoping we could see the English showing with subtitles. But instead I saw it in Spanish again only this time in 3D. In Spanish, English, 3D or not, Chris Hemsworth is still extremely attractive and I could watch him as Thor over and over again. 

The Christmas decorations that are already up:

<3 Chris Hemsworth everybody:

And that, my dear readers, is everything I have to say about weeks 10 and 11 of my life in Ecuador.