So, where were we?

Hola damas y caballeros, amigos y amigas,

If you know me (which you obviously do since you're reading this) then you probably know that I don't manage my time very well, so I apologize for the delayed update, friends.

So Ecuador, yes, Ecuador - my new found home. I’ll try my best to capture this place in words, but I really doubt it’s possible for me to shape sentences that will amount to the amazingness that is Ecuador. I mean, it still hasn’t even set in yet that I’m actually here and it's been almost two months now. (I feel sick thinking about that. Thanks for bringing it up.) Every single day seems like a surreal experience, and I know this trip will slip through my fingers no matter how long and how hard I try to hold onto it. But enough with the sentiments – let’s get to the juicy stuff.

Over the two months (I honestly feel ill...), I’ve been going to school, getting acquainted to as many new places and faces as possible, and just experiencing and observing everything that I have the opportunity to in a general sense. (This is a pretty rockin' thesis statement if I do say so myself. Moving on...)

School, just as in the states, sucks pretty bad, but attending school in a foreign country is more like borderline torturous. Sure, the campus is beautiful, my teachers (all but one) are great and pretty funny (even though the humor doesn't translate half the time), and my classes are rather interesting (all but one), but I'm not here to learn from books and lectures. Anyways, my Latin American Political Themes class has just reiterated the fact that the US is a pretty big asshole, and it's been pretty eye opening to learn about the states from another region's perspective. I recognize that the US doesn't have an obligation to any other country, but really - we've been pretty shitty neighbors. And this 'one' class has already managed to become the bane of my Ecuadorian existence, or else I wouldn't have brought it up. But I'll stop complaining now because everything else is absolutely beautiful. I suppose 3/4 isn't a bad ratio, and I can only hope that my grades will reflect or trump that ratio by the end of the term. (Sorry, mom and dad, I'm trying.)

My school, La Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, is the most prestigious university in all of Ecuador. It's a pretty intimidating title, and the difficulty level makes me miss Central a little bit, but this school is so unordinary that I just can't believe it's prestige. Notably, I had my classes cancelled due to the school's celebration of the Chinese New Year, where the university enabled its students with free wine, music, and cake. Of course I reaped the benefits and got to a level that I've never been at while on campus. (Thanks, USFQ.) Also, the semester before I arrived, USFQ had two huskies - so school pets rather than class pets, roaming around campus. One of which proceeded to bite a student and get euthanized, and the other proceeded to run away from this insane fate. (On Christmas nonetheless, just to stick it to 'em. Live the dream, potato!) I don't know, actually I highly doubt that no one has a pet dander allergy on campus, but that's just USFQ for you, i.e. one reason why I never want to leave.

You know 'dicktation' will be pasted on this wall before I leave.

The campus garden where the students hang out and the couples gross me out with their PDA.

Necessary oriental architecture. 

I haven't been out of Quito much, but the city is so busy all the time that it always keeps me occupied. Everything about this place is so different that I really can't believe it's on the same planet as Michigan. Let me explain.

For one, there are only two seasons in Ecuador: rainy and not-so rainy. Currently we are smack dab in the middle of the rainy season, i.e it rains everyday. La niña isn't making anything easier either - thanks, bitch. For the most part I think that I actually just walk through the rain clouds due to the fact that I live at cloud level here instead of sea level, but sometimes the sky rips upon and let's it all out. When this happens people seem to swim through the streets like Ecuadolphians (had to, sorry), and I would consider joining them if these streets weren't absolutely filthy.

Every time I walk outside of my gate my eyes are glued to the ground. Some of the debris that litters the streets is almost unmentionable, and one must be on guard when strolling through Quito. No, not for all of those Ecuadorian hoodlums that are supposedly hiding behind every corner with a switchblade, but for various heaps of garbage, dog poop, broken glass, puddles of oil and gasoline, food scraps, or a potion-like mix of all six. I've noticed that filth is an epidemic in places other than Quito too - Quito is actually clean in comparison to some of the places I've seen. Zumbahua, for example - a small pueblo about 5 hours outside Quito, was filled with those 'almost unmentionables' that I mentioned before - as in animal bones and excrement, blood stains, clomps of hair, and food wrappers that were pasted to the streets like decorative wall paper - on top of everything stated above. It's something that I can't understand or even empathize with to be honest. I know the issue goes deeper than just keeping things tidy, but is it really that difficult to have designated waste and compost areas? I'm not trying to hate right now, I just think this place is inexplicably beautiful and that it should be taken care of properly by those who occupy it; which brings me to my next point - the people.

The natives here, for the most part, have been incredibly helpful, friendly, and most notably patient with my Spanish. If you make eye contact, it'll always be returned with a 'buenos dias/tardes/noches,' and someone you've met more than once or are meeting officially for the first time will always greet you with a kiss on the cheek. (Which is the most action I've gotten here.) Yes, the Ecuas are charming for the most part until I set foot on the trole bus - at which point I hate everything and everyone.

And I have to pay to ride on this.

As portrayed above, there is hardly enough room to breathe on the trole bus. On various occasions I have missed my bus stop solely due to the fact that making moves through the trole is like making moves on a number slide game. I've come to the realization that crowd surfing out of the bus would most definitely be more effective, so I'll keep you posted on how that goes. The one good thing about the trole is the station, and moreover the wonderful opportunities it provides for people watching.

One of the first things I noticed about Ecuador was how young the families are here. My host parents are the same age as my real parents (love ya!), but all of their children are in their early thirties and have some of their own children by now. I mean, a good majority of couples I see outside of school would be potential prospects for "Teen Madre." The only time this has been a problem for me is when I see a nice looking Ecua guy (maybe not even nice looking, just taller than me for once) who is seemingly my age, and I start fixing myself up to make a move when a two year old lil tyke comes swingin' out behind the guy's legs and starts climbing all over him..this, my friends, is the ultimate cockblock. I think the actual problem with this whole practice is due to the fact that sex is such a taboo subject here that hardly anyone ever talks about it, and moreover that condoms aren't sold in very many places - let alone contraceptives. But I wouldn't put it passed the parents if they were just eager to have a child because all the Ecuababies are SO FUCKING ADORABLE.

The babies are all this cute & happy or cuter & happier, I kid you not.

p.s. I don't even like babies, so this says a lot.

I don't know if there is a better note to end on than that. I mean, just look at that face! Again, thanks for reading, friends. Sorry that I'm awful at keeping you updated on my new life and all it entails, but everything is beyond incredible to sum it up. I just wish y'all were here to share some of this experience with me, but I'll have no choice but to bring it back home and share it with y'all in a few months. Carnaval blog will be comin' atchya soon. Love you!

Observations thus far. Dedicated to John Schaeffer.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, my life absolutely rocks.

View from (a little bit) above.

Quito es increíble. The city was built in the mountains, so it looks like it's sitting on rolling waves. I have to admit I was a little bit weary about coming here at first, which is understandable since most everyone I'd talked to about studying here was an overly fearful white person (like myself) who managed to instill some of their worry in me. "You better watch your back or those Ecuadorians'll jump your bones somethin' nasty!" Well, no, no one put it quite that way, but that's how it registered for the most part, and all I have to say is we are all pretty ignant when it comes to less affluent cultures.

Why yes, those are shards of glass cemented to the top of a fence.

Just like in any big city, precautions must be taken and one must be vigilant of his/her surroundings. Anyone can wind up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and all I can say is that sucks for them. I just want to know when Ecuadorians so far surpassed us in home security technologies. I think the shards of glass and electric and barbed wire fences are far more intimidating than a stupid beep that sounds when one is attempting a break-in. C'mon, America, you're the land of innovation and you're falling far behind. Primitivism for the win! My host family does have a padlocked gate however, but our doors are always open, and by that I mean they are literally ajar at all times, yet I couldn't feel more safe in this house with these people.

 My living room.

Of course there are palm trees in my backyard.

View from my room. And a little bird poop.

This is what my ceiling looks like just in case you were wondering.

My host family has been so incredibly amazing and accommodating, including el nieto (grandson) who is eight and one of the wittiest people I have ever met. My host mother has made some of the best soups and dishes I have ever tasted, and the best part is that there is cheese in everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. We even put cheese cubes in our hot cocoa last night and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for feeding my addiction, Ruth - you da best. Everyone has also been so patient and helpful with my Spanish (or lack thereof), which has been a blessing since I literally haven't spoken a single sentence without fucking it up. Hopefully I'll progress soon and acquire a lot more vocabulary than I currently have, which is about that of a three year old if I had to put a number on it. The world outside is a bit more intimidating, but it's all the more intriguing.

View from outside my padlocked world. Montañas del cielo y la tierra.

Quito is chaos. The horn beeping, dog barking, cat calling, and sidewalk constructing never stops. There is no such thing as jay walking here because it's entirely commonplace, and there is also no such thing as driving safely. If you're going to be worried for me, worry about me crossing the street because so far that's seemingly the most dangerous thing about this place. I was almost hit by a bus today as a matter of fact, and instead of laying on the horn like a normal person the driver just flashed his brights at me. I obviously don't see you, dude, if I'm running out in front of your big ass bus. (My bad, I guess, since it was a big ass bus.) Luckily my peripherals caught on and my adrenaline kicked in in time to get me out of the way.

Please say a little prayer for me.

The air here (if that's what you call it) is stained with smog and the smell of gasoline, which will take some getting used to. Quito sits at about 2,000 meters above sea level, so I take five steps and need a water break. The fact that there's gas all up in my air doesn't help much. (There's no air in my air!) I'm sitting so high that I feel I could just reach up and grab some cloud if I wanted to. Not really of course, but the clouds do tend to swallow the tops of the taller buildings. You'll think it's foggy out, but when you walk downstairs you'll always be pleasantly surprised to find the sunlight. It is a pretty strange sight, but I've already seen stranger things.

For instance, dogs on roofs.

A triumphant pup on the ruff. I mean roof.

That's all for now, folks. I've only just finished my second day here, so things are about to get real interesting. This is only the beginning.

If you made it this far then thanks for reading! Love you! Ciao!

A 10 hour layover leads to this.

I wasn't planning on taking my first step into the blogging world until I had something (at least mildly) exciting to write about, but I've tired of all my other kill-times while I spend waste ten hours of my life in Miami International airport en route to Quito. It doesn't help that this is an American airport in which I can't reap the benefits of duty free alcohol.. (Hopefully they'll be a bit more generous on the way to Ecuador, especially since flying blows if you ask me.)

I was expecting to be hit by bouts of every extreme emotion today as I embark on this journey -excitement, sadness, nervousness, anxiety, what have you, but my entirely irrational fear of flying has sucked most of the available emotional energy out of me, and the line between excitement and anxiety has become blurred. 

I don't know whether it's the fact that no matter how much saliva I force out of my glands just to swallow it back down again, it still feels like someone is stuffing marshmallows in my ears for hours on end, or whether it's those periodic tail-dips that momentarily convince me that the concept of aerodynamics is a complete crock and gravity will reign in my sudden descend back to solid ground, the idea of being airborne is extremely unsettling, to say the least. Just because we have the power and capability to do something doesn't mean we should, people. I know I wouldn't get to Ecuador without it, but I can't help but to loath air travel, and I can only hope that this fear will dissipate with age or something.

So now I'm here at gate D47, anxiously awaiting part two of my quest to Quito as I study everyone in the terminal, wondering if any of my temporary neighbors have any drugs strapped to them, and moreover whether or not I can take any of them before I take off again to ease some of this angst. Somebody get this girl some Xanax. (Just kidding, Mom.)

Nos vemos en Quito.

Cheers.