Ending January
The first month of this year was absolutely crazy. From going away parties to last minute shopping trips – January was nonstop. What a perfect ending to my time in the States. I was worried about mourning wasted time, but I can honestly say that I don’t think there was much extra time for me to grieve not utilizing.
Beginning February
On February 3rd I officially left the States to begin this adventure. After a whole day of traveling I got to my host family’s house a little after 10pm, so I didn’t know just how beautiful this city is! Quito is HUGE and is completely surrounded by the most beautiful mountains. I've visited my local park – Parque la Carolina. I didn’t know where I would be living, and it was such a sweet surprise to find out that my area is referred to as “Carolina.” It feels like a tidbit of home in such a new place.
First Holiday!
The first weekend after I arrived we celebrated Carnaval! From what I understand, it is the celebration of life, the coming spring, and abundance. They celebrate for four days straight and Ecuadorians go all out! A lot of young people celebrate by having "Espuma" fights. They attack with foam, water, flour, colored powder, etc, and the fights are usually held in parks, but they can happen anywhere! One of the craziest fights I was in happened in the middle of their historic downtown! My roommates and I were walking down the street when we got ambushed by a group of kids with carioca bottles, so naturally we bought some of our own to get them back!
The Tough Stuff
While being here so far has been amazing, it definitely hasn’t been the easiest transition. There are a LOT of cultural differences. Some are easier to adjust to (like throwing away toilet paper instead of flushing it) and some are harder (like being treated like a child again after years of being independent for 4+ years). I have felt culture shock time and time again (and I REALLY miss Chick-fil-A)! I have also started language school which is both amazing and really hard. Since language is the biggest divide, it’s great to be working on bridging that gap, but learning another language is REALLY hard. My brain has been absolutely fried every single day, and I’ve needed more naps in the past two weeks than I’ve ever needed in my life haha!
Prayer Requests
• Reflecting Jesus in my actions and drawing others towards him
• Culture shock/cultural differences and adjusting
• Grace to navigate through difficult conversations/differences with my host family
• Learning Spanish quickly and being able to retain everything I’m learning
• Energy to get through the day without needing a nap!