Introduction

Hello and Hola! My name is Megan Reid and for those of you who don't know me, I am an 18 year old from a small town in the state of New Hampshire who just graduated from high school. I have decided to take a gap year before heading off to attend Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. For my gap year, I will be a Rotary Exchange Student staying in the country of Ecuador in South America.

Ecuador is located on the equator and it has a tropical climate. I will be staying in the city of Machala, which is located on the south-west coast of the country. Machala is the fourth largest city in Ecuador- much larger than what I am used to here in New Hampshire. I will be staying with two host families while in Ecuador and attending a local high school as a senior. Fortunately, as far as grades are concerned, I don't really have to worry because I have already graduated here in the United States. However, I will give the work my best shot anyways because that's just how I am. I plan on arriving in Ecuador between August 23rd and August 25th. I have corresponded with my first host family (all in Spanish) and so far everything sounds great. I am very excited for this journey and am excited for the way it will effect my life.

I am going to use this blog as a way to keep everyone updated on how my year is going and the experiences that I have. Ideally, I will post weekly about my new experiences with the language and culture, and post about the various trips I will take with my new Rotary Exchange friends. For now, I am patiently waiting for my visa to be approved so the travel agency can book my flight. Rotary Exchangers say that "exchange isn't a year in your life, it's a life in one year".
In that case, let my new life begin!