Viva La Cumpleañera

Well, I am a year older and hopefully a bit wiser as well (I know, I shouldn’t hold my breath). But I have decided that being 23 is pretty fabulous, and that is probably because of the wonderful welcome my new year received! On account of my family and friends, this has been one of my best birthdays yet, and definitely one I won’t soon forget.

The celebrations started in the States when some friends surprised we with a Carvel ice cream cake (my favorite!). That was such a great birthday present in itself, getting to see friends I hadn’t seen in so long. Then when I returned to Ecuador the festivities just kept on going! I hate to go on and on about my birthday celebrations, but it really is a tribute to the generosity of everyone here. And there were some pretty funny moments over the course of the weekend as well!

On Friday, both of my classes surprised me with cake and presents. My afternoon class gave me Sylvester slippers and my night class gave me beautiful silver jewelry. It’s also a tradition in Ecuador to have the birthday boy/girl take a tiny bite from the cake after the candles are blown out, when at that moment, someone else sticks the person's face in the cake! So needless to say, I got my face shoved in cake twice that day, and not to be too graphic, but even the day after I was blowing chocolate out of my nose! And of course my students loved seeming me with icing all over my face and didn’t hesitate to take lots of photos. Then that night, I met up with Aubrey and some guy friends to welcome my birthday at midnight. I was then subjected to another Ecuadorian birthday tradition- a spanking! I was hit in the dairy-aire with a belt 23 times, and so hopefully that means I will have lots of good luck in the year ahead.

I woke up early Saturday and made the one-hour trip to Baños to meet up with some other friends. At around 10am the 7 of us set off on a 61km or 36 mile ride to the jungle town of Puyo. We were lucky to have perfect weather- lots of sun and blue skies! So the ride was really enjoyable. We stopped for lunch at Ecuador’s biggest waterfall, El Pailon del Diablo, or The Devil’s Pot. After a long leisurely rest, Ava, Chris, and Karina, and I kept on going to Puyo while the others headed to a different waterfall and then back to Baños. Along the way we got hit by a huge downpour (common in the jungle in the afternoon) and Ava got a flat tire, but nothing could hold us back! Chris and Ava fixed the flat and we pressed on through the rain to finally reach palm trees and flat land a few hours later. We reached Puyo around 5pm and treated ourselves to Chinese food before getting a truck back to Baños. I had such a nice time seeing the countryside and having some wonderful conversations with the other along the way. It was definitely a great way to spend my birthday!

That night ,all the volunteers were hanging out in our hotel room as we got ready for the night ahead. I think that was one of the highlights of my birthday celebrations, just sitting together and laughing. It’s so rare for me these days to have a whole bunch of friends around me, since so many of them live so far away in Ecuador.  Then eventually we headed out on the town, equipped with glow sticks my mom had sent and a huge birthday hat that Aubrey had given me. I loved wearing the hat because all the Ecuadorians were wishing me “Feliz Cumpelaños!” all night long. Often they would shout, “Viva la cumpleañera,” or “long live the birthday girl!” So I had a great time dancing with my friends and it amazed me how I felt so at home with these people I had met only 8 months before. I guess the bonds of Ecuador are pretty strong.

Lastly, I came home on Sunday to a huge extended family lunch at my house. Maria’s son Juan Gabriel had his Confirmation that morning, so all the grandparents, uncles, and aunts were there to celebrate. After a big lunch, Juan Gabriel and I both had our own cakes, and of course our faces were smashed into them, yet again! Then my family had bought me a bottle of wine, and since it is so rare here, I was happy thinking of having a nice glass of wine with my birthday cake. Well, yet again I assumed too quickly, because instead they made me race my host brother and chug 2 glasses like shots! Ecuador is known for having quite a high level of peer pressure when it comes to alcohol- usually it is seen as very rude if you deny it. But since it was my birthday I didn’t mind a bit, and my host brother sure seemed to enjoy beating me both times in front of the family (I even think he was trying to let me win!). So it was a very nice little get-together and by the end I surely felt like my birthday had been celebrated as much as humanly possibly. But then I checked my email and was so delighted to see so many emails from family and friends back home! It brought such a smile to my face to know that while I was on the other side of the world, so many birthday wishes were coming my way from home. I really am so lucky to have so many people who care about me! So thank you all for making my birthday such a wonderful one:)

Now I am ready to finish out my last three weeks teaching, and I hope to make the most of it. I have so many exciting things to look forward to, though I am so nervous that these next 5 weeks will fly by and my time abroad will be over before I know it. This weekend I am running in the 15k in Quito with some friends, then the following weekend all the volunteers are meeting in Quito for our End of Service conference, and the next weekend Aubrey and I are headed to the Galapagos! So lots coming up and I just hope I can appreciate every moment that I have left here and take one day as it comes. Thanks again for remembering me on my birthday and happy kickoff to the summer! xo

Tribute to My Grandma

My grandma is one of the most remarkable people I have ever known and a true inspiration in my life. She’s the only grandparent I’ve had for the last 12 years, and she has far exceeded the expectations of the position. She has always been so present and supportive in my life, continuing just as strong while I’ve been in Ecuador. She is the epitome of selflessness and generosity, and she is one of those people who brings joy to all around her. I have always admired her love of education and art, and her devotion to her loved ones. Often while I have been overseas, I have thought upon my grandma’s youth and how she served as an airline stewardess and went overseas with the Red Cross. I love the thought that she had the traveler’s bug that I have, that itch to see the world. But more than anything I love her because she is my grandma- the person who always made me drink a glass of orange juice in the morning when I visited, who always sent cards for every possible holiday, who always made me feel so beautiful and special, who was always willing to lend an ear, who always took 10 minutes to say goodbye on the phone, who never let me leave her empty-handed, and who helped to show me the meaning of unconditional love. I have been blessed to have her in my life and I only hope that I can be half the woman one day that she has been.

I flew home Thursday morning and was at the hospital within the hour. Though it was terribly sad to see my grandma in her condition, it was wonderful that the family was all around her and that the room seemed to be filled more with love than despair. We spent the day telling funny stories and saying goodbye, and experiencing every emotion in between. Grandma passed away that evening with children and grandchildren present, and she went so gracefully and peacefully.

I know I will miss my grandma terribly. On big occasions like my wedding, I know I will be longing for her to share in the day, but I will miss her on a daily basis over little things, like every time I talk about tomatoes or eat a Kit-Kat bar. But I am just thankful that I had the time with her that I did, and that she is able to rest now and be in the comfort of God and all her loved ones who have gone before her. And it’s nice to think I have an extra little angel on my shoulder now too.

And while I would have thought the funeral and such would have brought me the most heartache, it was really those events that brought me so much comfort. I loved spending time with my extended family and sharing both sadness and hope with them. There was such a feeling of love and unity when we were all gathered, that I really thought my grandma would have been proud. And my favorite event of all came after her memorial Mass when some of us sat at her favorite restaurant for over 5 hours just telling stories and laughing together. What a great tribute to her life and the impact she had on others.

Being home was definitely difficult at times, but I am just so thankful that I was able to share in that time with my family and participate in the tribute to my grandma. I also was so lucky to have friends in the area that gave me so much support as well.  I know I need to carry on, yet while keeping my grandma’s memory alive. So I am back to Ecuador! But now I won’t have to call my grandma to tell her about my experiences because she has a front row seat:)

When It Rains it Pours

It’s amazing how life throws you curve balls when you least expect them. The week started out so wonderfully and then turned for the worse. But as the saying goes, God doesn’t give us what we can’t handle, and we need to take advantage of all the life we’re given- the difficult along with the great.

So the great to begin with. On Saturday Richard and Diego took Kat, Aubrey, and I caving. I was so excited not only for the adventure of it all, but also because the caves are called 24 de Mayo, my birthday! So we left Ambato in the morning to arrive in the quasi-jungle town of Mera two hours later. Little did we know what we were in for. We headed into the jungle and walked for an hour and a half through the thickest mud I have ever experienced. It’s so funny looking back because we had been so careful watching our steps and making calculated moves as to minimize mud submersion. We soon found out our efforts were in vain. The caves were literally a hole in the middle of the jungle floor- totally removed from everything! We couldn’t imagine how someone found them in the first place. Lucky for us we had some great guides.

The caves themselves were incredible. With headlamps on, we all headed down into the darkness. At points, the spaces were so narrow that only our heads were above water, the rest of us submerged and without any space to turn around. Good thing I don’t get claustrophobic! And needless to say, we were soaking wet and as muddy as possible. We got to see tons of bats that kept flying around and amazing stalactites and stalagmites. When we got to the big room at the end and turned off all our lights so that we could experience true darkness and silence. Then we headed back out (it took about 25 minutes from one end to the other) and started to walk back to the truck. Because we were so filthy already,  we just had a ball slushing through the mud without a care. And then it started to downpour, the strongest I had experienced in Ecuador.  Though I was freezing, I thought to myself that I know one day not too far from now when I am working, I am going to think back and wish more than anything that I was stuck in a downfall in the Amazon. Though at the time, I didn’t know how much that downpour would come to symbolize my week ahead.

Sunday was Mother’s Day and I decided to make pancakes for my host mom and the rest of the family. Can you believe they had never had them before? So I made a batch of regular pancakes and a batch of banana, and some scrambled eggs as well. They also were puzzled with syrup, having never seen it before. But I think the breakfast was a success! Then I went to Mass and went shopping with them all. After doing some work, Aubrey and I took a study break and went on a double date of sorts! We had met two guys dancing a few weeks before and they invited us for ice cream. Since I never turn down free ice cream, we made our way to La Fornace, Ambato’s most famous heladaria. And of course an Ecuadorian evening wouldn’t be complete without daring vueltas, or driving around aimlessly, so after circling the city multiple times, the boys took us home. It was definitely fun to experience the Ecuadorian dating world, and if nothing else, it was great conversation practice!

Then Monday came, and as is common on that day, things started to fall apart. I woke up not feeling very well, with a runny nose and a really sore throat. I had my morning routine as usual and ate lunch with the family, and then was hit really hard with whatever bug I had. I got body aches, a fever, and let’s just say I was having some digestive problems as well. I felt so miserable that I canceled class for the first time in 8 months. It really is hard to feel so sick when you are so far from home. Then I called my mom in the States because I just wanted to hear a friendly voice, and I got terrible news. She told me that my grandma might very well not make it through the week. And if I thought being sick in a different country was the loneliest feeling possible, I was about to discover I was wrong. So with everything, Monday night was definitely my worst night in Ecuador.

I woke up Tuesday morning exhausted from lack of sleep from sickness and sadness, only to go downtown for a phone interview I had planned. Obviously, this interview, which had been on the forefront of my mind for a week, seemed to be so far from my thoughts at the time. But deep down I knew how much this organization interested me and I really did want the job. I went to both of my favorite internet cafes, which both have a lot of space, and as my luck had it they had both been closed temporarily for not paying taxes. So I ended up in a little cabina about the size of a porta-potty with all the company information spread around me.  I think the interview went as well as can be expected at a time like that, and if nothing else, I know it was good practice for future interviews.

I was headed to breakfast with our director from Quito on Wednesday morning when I got a call from my mom that I should book a ticket to the States, and the soonest one possible. That was when I let go of the hope that my grandma would make it, and knew that I had to embrace reality and get ready to say goodbye. It had just all been so unexpected and it seemed so surreal, but somehow I was able to get a plane ticket in the next hour, pack my bags, and create a lesson plan for Dan to help me with in my absence. Thankfully for me, the buses were all on strike in Ambato anyway, so there would be no class that day. That also meant, though, it would be a lot harder to relay all the changes to my students. Luckily I have an amazing coworker in Dan, and such supportive administrators, that I was able to leave knowing my students were in good hands and that I needn’t worry about classes while I was away. Then I headed to the airport and flew out that night. I was bound for the US and instead of excitement, I was just filled with great sadness.

But through it all I just saw time and time again how good can come in the hardest of times. My host family showed me so much love and compassion- buying me medicine, making me crazy sore throat drink concoctions, and driving me to the bus terminal when I had to get to the airport. Many of my students called or texted me when I was sick to give me advice or to offer to take me to the doctor. Aubrey and Dan both helped me with my lesson plans and my school administrators gave me great peace of mind. So while I left Ambato very down, I knew that I was leaving with a lot of love and support as well.

Mis Queridos

It has really dawned on me the last few days how lucky I really am. I mean, I know that I have so many blessings in my life, but you know how sometimes it just hits you harder that usual? In the last few days I have gotten some really great emails from friends back home and I just stopped to think to myself what loving, talented people I have in my life that care about me. I even got texts from friends in Africa (amazing that they made their way to Ecuador if you ask me!). I have also loved developing some more intimate relationships with my family members over the past few months by email. Speaking of which, I will surely be thinking of the Arnett family all gathered together tomorrow for Nick's 2nd birthday! And then here in Ecuador this week I have really shared some good times with my best friends here- my co-volunteers and my students. And though in many ways these two groups are so different, they both have enriched my experience and both have the uncanny ability to brighten my spirits. So from all of you back home to everyone here in Ecuador, thanks for sticking by me through it all!

So last Friday morning I got up early and headed to the town of Riobamba an hour away, or so I thought. The bus driver told me to get onto the wrong connecting bus, though, and poor Hilary was waiting for me at the bus stop for almost an hour! But I finally made it and I'm happy to report that it was definitely worth my while. I had been wanting to get to Riobamba for so long- my two good friends Annie and Hilary both live there, it has much more Colonial architecture than Ambato, and it is so close that I was frustrated I hadn't gotten myself there yet. So Hilary walked me around a bit and I felt its charm immediately- I loved the old churches and cobblestone streets that Ambato lacks. It also feels a lot less commercial than Ambato, and maybe a bit friendlier.  Though I didn't get to see too much, I got just enough of a taste that I now want to return for a longer visit very soon. We went to Hilary's favorite vegetarian restaurant run by a Taiwanese family, and then we headed for the coast!

The bus ride to Guayaquil was gorgeous! And though I've made this trip many times before, I had never been during the day. It was so enjoyable to watch the mountains turn to banana trees in a matter of hours. Ecuador continues to amaze me with its incredible diversity and beautiful landscapes. So we arrived in early evening and met a bunch of the other volunteers in town for dinner and drinks for Shelby's birthday. Then we all went to stay at Sarah's host family's host (they could not be more generous!). They now refer to their house as "Hotel Sarah," and they get such a kick out of hosting! So we all got ready for the night and headed out into Guayaquil. Now Guayaquil is known as quite the lively city, so I knew that I was probably in for a late night...little did I know! We went to a cute little club where Shelby and Sarah know the owners, and because it was a long weekend for Labor Day, many people were out of town. We basically had the place to ourselves, and we couldn't have had a more enjoyable time. The DJ wonderfully played all our favorite English hits- everything from Bon Jovi and Madonna to Justin Timberlake and Sir Mix-a-lot. But then of course we requested plenty of Reggeton as well. After hours of dancing (barefoot I might add- so much for health codes), we finally got back home at 4am!

Saturday morning we got to sleep in until 10am (longest I've slept in months!) and then we all pitched in to make a big breakfast for Sarah's family and all of us. We made bolones with cheese and green bananas (it's an actual type of banana, it doesn't mean unripened), eggs, rice, OJ, and coffee. The best, though, is that Sarah's mom went out to buy us a huge tub of ceviche- a fish soup that is very common for breakfast on the coast, and especially on those mornings after late nights on the town, if you catch my drift. And though fish soup might not sound appetizing, it is absolutely delicious and I look forward to trying to make it when I get back to the States.

That afternoon, some of us headed to Parque Historio- an interesting combination of a zoo and a Colonial Williamsburg-esque place (which you know I love!). The zoo part had all sorts of neat animals- alligators, monkeys, tortoises, cheetahs, and even parrots that could say "hola." The historic part featured some historic houses right on the riverbank- complete with an early 20th century trolley and people dressed in Victorian era clothing. So we had fun walking around and taking lots of pictures, but after awhile the heat became too much to bear and we headed back to Sarah's.


That night we all went out for dinner in Las Peñas, another restored part of Guayaquil that sits on a hill overlooking the river. Last time I went it had been broad daylight, so it was enjoyable to go at night and see all the city lights, miles in every direction. We ate dinner at a restaurant that was shaped like a pirate ship (and we didn't hesitate to share pirate jokes), and then we headed to Shelby's birthday party at her host family's house. She had gone to such trouble to make all sorts of appetizers and she turned her front patio into an outdoor mingle/dance area. We had so much fun again switching between both US favorites and popular Ecuadorian music, and it was especially fun to see how all the Americans danced compared to the Ecuadorians (must I say that we weren't exactly graceful in comparison). But of course the best of the night featured a piñata and a limbo stick! So I think Shelby quite enjoyed her birthday celebrations, as did we all.

Then, my students really amazed me for their first oral quizzes on Tuesday- they did so wonderfully! I felt like a proud mom watching her children in their first school play- sure they had many mistakes and fumbles, but they had such enthusiasm and courage too. They also made me laugh really hard with the funny scenarios they came up with, and I must say I even got a little choked up with how well some of them did. It's amazing to me sometimes to think that I started with them at Basic 1, because now they are really communicating! And though it is nice to think I might have been able to help them here and there along the way, I truly believe that a language cannot just be taught, and that so much of their progress has to do with their motivation and tireless efforts. I've just been lucky to witness the process as they go along.

In class this week we also continued with our count and noncount nouns, and I finally think it's starting to click for my students. I can only imagine how difficult the concept must be, but they have been really trying to understand it. We cut up magazines and made collages of both count and noncount nouns, and yesterday we played a trivia game to practice asking how much and how many.  I am beginning to get really nervous because we have now crossed the halfway mark of the semester, which means I only have 20 days of teaching left...ever! There is so much I want to get done and so little time to work with! I guess I just have to do my best and trust that the following volunteers will carry the class on with flying colors. And I do think it will be good for my students to experience another teaching style and approach to language learning (though I certainly will be sad to let my students go!).

Because we had to make up a day of class, my students decided they wanted to have class at the movie theater today. Since most blockbusters are usually in English with Spanish subtitles, I thought this seemed like a valid way to practice listening to English, and gave my consent. Though of course when I went to check movie times yesterday morning, the staff informed me that all the movies were in Spanish- of course the first time since I've been here. But after much pleading from my students, I finally agreed to carry on with the plan, though contingent on the fact that they would all write movie reviews in English over the weekend (I'm a softy sometimes, what can I say?). So basically I spent all of today in the movie theater with my students, which turned out to be a very enjoyable way to spend a Friday afternoon. I watched Speed Racer with my afternoon class- which I thought was super cute with great special effects (a mix of real life and animation). Then my night class saw Iron Man, which I thought was a really interesting mix of current events, like fighting in Afghanistan and controversy over weapons of mass destruction, and superhero powers which required you to suspend all disbelief (as you might expect from a product of Marvel Comics). But I really enjoyed both movies and the chance to spend time with my students outside of the classroom.

Tomorrow Richard and Diego are taking Aubrey, Kat, my student Jazmin, and I all caving! And I am especially excited because the caves are named after my birthday (definitely not the other way around), Las Cavernas de 24 de Mayo. So we will be equipped with headlamps at all. Then on Sunday I am going to hopefully surprise my family by making pancakes (which they have never had before!) and then we are all going to head to a big new park called Parque de la Familia to spend the afternoon.

I hope all your mothers have a fabulous Mother's Day on Sunday and extra hugs and kisses to my mom who is sadly daughterless this year. Love you Mom...you're the greatest! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and please keep in touch!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

It’s May! That means quite a few things actually. First it means that I somehow only have two months left in Ecuador. I confirmed my plane ticket this past week and I will be home the evening of Thursday, July 3rd. You better believe I’ll be in my red, white, and blue the next day! And of course more importantly, the coming of May means my birthday is approaching. I sure do love birthday celebrations, and I’m planning get-togethers with both my students and my co-volunteers. But I’m mostly excited it’s May because I’ve had a rough few weeks and I am ready for a new month. It’s so funny here how a funk can just strike, for no reason, yet it’s so hard to shake. I think I’ve been a bit down because I can now see the end of this experience in sight, and I don’t quite know what to do with it. Do I feel sad that I will have to say goodbye to my students and my life here? Do I start to countdown my days and get excited about going home? I know I should be somewhere between the two, but instead I don’t want either. I don’t want to say goodbye to everything here, but I also don’t want to wait 2 months to see friends and family. What’s a girl to do? I guess the best policy is to just make the most out of my time here, of course, and know that home will be waiting for me when I return. So with that mentality, we embark upon May.

And how can I feel down when my godfather welcomed his second beautiful daughter into the world on Friday?! Jameson Delaney Mahoney was born on April 25th, and mom Janet, dad Mark, and big sis Adair are all healthy and happy. Congrats to the whole family! So of course hearing that news put a big smile on my face for the rest of the day. Then that night at English club I was pleasantly surprised because my students dominated. Usually Aubrey’s students hold the majority, but I had about 6 students from my night class, and then of course Aubrey and Kat, show up. It was so nice to see my students being so motivated- taking time out of their weekends to come practice conversation…and eat ice cream too of course.

That night Aubrey and I went out dancing with a few of her really great female students. They have always welcomed me with open arms and they are just a lot of fun to hang out with. Though the club was pretty empty (just us and a private party), by the end of the night we had all joined forces and turned it into a party! I found a really great dance partner who let me practice my salsa, which I always love to do. And I was just having so much fun. I remember thinking to myself that I was so glad I had gone out instead of staying in and having a pity party- I could feel that funk starting to shake off.

I had planned on going to the town of Riobamba on Saturday night to celebrate my good friend Annie’s birthday, but unfortunately she got really sick with a terrible throat infection, and had to cancel the dinner and party plans she had made. It’s hard enough to be away from friends and family on your birthday, but being really sick too? Certainly not the way a birthday should be spent. Since many of us had planned to go to Riobamba, we instead just redirected the get-together to Ambato. We had a makeshift girls’ night and Ava from Quito and Hilary from Riobamba came to visit me. We made a fabulous dinner of quesadillas with mango salsa and guacamole and a fruit crisp for dessert. And if you guys think quesadillas are what I eat every day down here...my host family didn’t even know what they were! Ecuadorian food is about as far as you can get from Mexican- bland with every carb imaginable. So it was fun to share the meal with my host mom and Maria as well. Then we met Carla and Dan downtown for a few hours before all cramming into my bedroom for the night.

I spent most of the day on Sunday lesson planning at Aubrey’s house, mostly because I wanted to help her get ready for her big interview coming up. I am so excited for her! Aubrey has been having all sorts of phone interviews with a private school in Memphis to teach biology next year…and they bought her a plane ticket to interview on site! So needless to say she had a lot of preparation to do, and I was happy to do my part. At one point Aubrey said, “Katie, I hope you don’t take this personally, but I think you’re a good example of what a freshman biology student might be like.” I couldn’t stop laughing, especially because it was so true (just don’t have that science mind)! So Aubrey gave me her full-out 85-minute lesson, complete with power point, activities, and asking questions to the class (aka me). I even learned some new formulas (and was pretty impressed with myself I must say). But it was really fun to act like the student and have sincere questions, and then be able to turn around and see the lesson from a teacher’s point of view. I was able to give Aubrey come constructive suggestions and help her to brainstorm different points in her lesson. But she did a fabulous job and I wish her all the best in Memphis!

In class this past week we have been reviewing commands and learning about count and noncount nouns. So confusing! For example, in English we can say “2 letters” but only “some mail,” and “3 necklaces,” but only “ some jewelry.” And then try to mix in the differences between much and many and a few and a little, and you’ve got yourself a royal mess. But I tried to make it more applicable, and of course more fun, by having my students translate recipes. Recipes of course use commands (instructions) and food is probably the biggest clearinghouse of noncount nouns- cheese, fruit, bread, coffee, sugar, salt, meat, you name it! The best part about the whole exercise was that they each made me a copy of their recipe, and I have complied them into a book to bring back to the States. I told them all that I would think about them when I make their recipes…so if you guys back home want a free meal (though no guarantees on my cooking skills), make sure to hold me to that.

So yesterday in class we turned our recipes into realities and we had a “food celebration” in class. My afternoon students each prepared the dish that they had translated, and they had to present it, basic ingredients and preparation, to the class. And I loved it because I got to try all the recipes that I had just collected from my book! Everything from tiramisu and coconut cake, to more traditional Ecuadorian dishes like quimbolitos (like tamales but sweet and with raisins), morocho (a delicious corn and milk based hot drink), espumilla (kind of like icing, but whipped out of a fruit called guanabana), and homemade pineapple wine. And talk about feeling pressured to eat! Everyone wanted me to try his or her dish, and of course I couldn’t leave anyone out, so needless to say it wasn’t the best calorie-count day (see the photo of my students enjoying all their goodies). Thank goodness I only had soup for lunch.

But no, it doesn’t end. My night class, since most of the students work until class time, decided that they instead wanted to go out to eat. So we met for an hour and a half for class, and then we went to a seafood restaurant (see the photo of my student Cristina and the crab she ordered). After all the sugar I had had that afternoon, I was craving some protein. I had the most delicious seafood kabob with shrimp, fish, and squid! But I loved just spending time with my students in a more informal setting, just talking with them and laughing with them. Again, I realized how much I have to be thankful for here in Ecuador and how silly it is to less myself feel down.

And one last reason why I should be feeling nothing but glee on this first day of May is that today is International Labor Day! I thought it was just an Ecuadorian thing, but Daniel in Togo said that all the Togolese are celebrating today as well. I guess the US just likes to have their own special day? Anyway, all schools and offices are closed today, and President Correa gave the whole country tomorrow of as well. The only problem with this, though, is that everyone has to make this Friday up next Saturday (which seems a bit crazy to me), but I guess the point is that everyone can have a long weekend to travel. And I am going to do just that.

It actually seems like everyone is traveling right now. Aubrey flew to the US yesterday, for the first time in 8 months I should add, and she flies back from her interviews Saturday afternoon. Quite the whirlwind trip! I can’t wait to here how everything went for her, and to read the list of culture shock moments she promised to keep. Then Dan’s brother and sister-in-law arrive tonight, and plan to stay for a few weeks as their belated honeymoon of sorts. Dan has been here for over a year, so I’m sure his brother is anxious to see what his life here is like. And after the difficult few weeks they have recently been though, it will be so nice for them to explore the sights together. Finally, Amanda, my friend back in the States, is flying today to visit Daniel in Togo today! I’m sure they’ll have some great stories to share.

So with everyone else traveling I decided that I should do the same. I am heading tomorrow morning to Riobamba to have lunch with Hilary (though it’s only an hour away I have never been), and then we are going together to Guayaquil. Shelby, one of the Guayaquil volunteers, is having birthday celebrations, so we are going to go join in on the fun. And after the cold and chilly weather in Ambato, I am ready for the heat and humidity of the coast!

The April chapter is closed and May is now here. And with that, good luck to all you students taking exams right now. It’s weird how I sometimes miss those late nights in the library with friends. I hope you all have a wonderful first weekend in May…something tells me things are looking up.