aventura.

where to begin? with my acceptance at the universidad san fancisco de quito (usfq)? with my trip to chicago to obtain my visa? with saying tearful goodbyes? (even though i'll be back before any of us know it). with packing till 12, and then waking up at 3:30 for my flight? or with where i am right now... unpacked, settled in, drinking maracuya (the best juice EVER) and still not believing that i'm in quito ecuador for the next 5 1/2 months.

i guess from the very beginning...

i've wanted to study abroad forever, since middle school really. and i've always always wanted to be fluent in spanish, i can thank my brother for part of that. then after i spent time in argentina this past summer, i knew i had to come back to south america, and soon. so that's where msu came in.... i was pumped when i got my acceptance letter from both msu and usfq, but after sending in my confirmation, the whole idea hadn't sunk in quite yet. i went about my daily life, kind of pushing the whole thing aside until, 2 months before the trip, i realized i had to get my visa, get a physical, sign up for classes and get them approved, get shots (yikes!), etc.... but still i took my time. whoops. caused myself a little extra stress doing everything so last minute, but hey, i'm here right? it was an adventure along the way though. i got to see my family in chicago, got another chance at overcoming my fear of needles/shots, met the people i'd be traveling with, realized how much my family and friends meant to me and got to test my skills at packing. one suitcase, one backpack and 5.5 months worth of stuff. no chris, i did not just bring two pairs of pants. :)

the flights were good, but also interesting. for the 6am flight, i was lucky enough to have a screaming child and lots of turbulance. then onto the 6 hour layover. thankfully i had my computer and movies on hand. second flight, overall much better. sat next to my new friends matt and sara, both who are here studying. got a pretty decent dinner on the flight too, we were all quite surprised. some sketchy turbulance while flying through some rainstorms, but luckily the humor of my seatmates kept things entertaining in spite of all the jolts of the plane. off the plane, through customs and security (no issues there, thankfully) and onto meet my host mother! se llama silvia, y me caí muy bien. (her name is silvia and i like her very much)

after a quick city tour, back to my new home and learning how to unlock the three doors and even more locks to get into the house, a tour of the home and into my new room. with windows everywhere, pictures of loved ones and cozy furniture, i know i'll be at home here. can't complain when i currently have my windows open and can feel the warm breeze blowing through. ahhhhhh. alright. that's enough for now. time to go to el bosque (the mall) that's only a couple blocks away... and later, who knows :)