April!

I can't believe how quickly the month of April has slipped by. Exactly one month from today I return home to Iowa! After living in Ecuador for eight months, my life here seems completely normal and routine.

• I no longer wake up to the gas truck that drives around the neighborhood at 6am honking its horn so people can run out of their houses and flag it down to replace their gas tank
• I know to always wear a variety of layers because the weather changes about 20 degrees on a daily basis
• Whenever I buy something worth more than $5 I try to break a $20 bill because I know that otherwise I won't have change for the bus
• I now have the ability to walk and pretend that I don't hear all of the horrible "piropos" (cat calls) made by every single male I pass (from 12 year olds to 80 year olds....no joke)
• I love walking around the corner from my apartment to the "Almuerzo" restaurant where a full plate of rice, chicken/fish, salad (which consists only of onions and tomatoes), lentils, and juice is only $1.40
• I hear myself using all kinds of "Ecuadoriaisms" when I speak in Spanish...

And these are just a few examples. I really and truly have enjoyed my time here but as it comes to a close, I am excited to return home and start on a new adventure. But before I start down that path, how about a quick recap of what have I been up to for the past month.

April started with two world cup qualifying soccer games where Ecuador played against Brazil and Paraguay. I have to say, they were two of the most frustrating soccer games I have ever watched because Ecuador played so well, but could not seem to score a single goal. Despite the frustration, I still enjoyed immersing myself in the ambiance at the soccer stadium which was full of thousands of bright yellow jerseys and extremely animated fans. Following soccer in Ecuador, I proceeded to watch Carolina win the basketball National Championship (Go Heels!) with a motley crew of gringos and feel extremely nostalgic for Chapel Hill when I walked outside after the game, and there were no fires in the street.

The day after the Championship we started our week and a half long vacation for "Semana Santa" (Holy Week), and I was off to Chile and Argentina. I spent the first part of the trip in Santiago catching up with Shepherd -a current Rotary Scholar in Chile and good friend from Chapel Hill- and Grace - a good friend from Iowa City. Upon arriving in Chile, I felt like I had entered an entirely different world. Everything was so clean and organized. Cars obeyed traffic signals, buses had official stops. It was extremely different from Ecuador. I enjoyed a few days exploring the city with Shep and Grace which included a visit to La Moneda -the presidential palace where Allende was shot- and La Chascona -one of Pablo Neruda's beautiful homes. For the weekend, we met up with Hudson and Amit, who were on the tail-end of their travels, and went to Valpariso, the UNESCO world heritage site known for its fishing culture and brightly painted buildings. I said goodbye to Hudson and Amit after the weekend and took the overnight bus to Mendoza, Argentina. Despite the 1 am wake-up call to go through customs, the journey was uneventful, and I arrived bright and early at my sister's host family's home in Mendoza.

Mendoza is a beautiful city with tree-lined streets, a gorgeous park, and many outdoor cafes and restaurants. My sister Anita had been in Mendoza for about a month before I arrived and she was a lovely tour guide, when not occupied with classes. I spent my days sipping mate in the park with Anita and her host sisters, taking a "Bike and Wine" tour with fellow Carolina students who are studying abroad in Mendoza, and enjoying the company of Anita's wonderful host family. After having Anita visit me in Ecuador, it was great to have the chance to visit her and see what her life in Mendoza is like.

After a week and a half of vacation, I am back in Quito once again. Sadly my arrival was met with the realization that I have two weeks of class left, and many final projects and exams to complete. My semester officialy ends on May 15th and there is much to do, so I must be off! I hope to write again soon!!!