Daily Life

Wow... It's been way to long since I posted! It's mostly been daily life around here, so I'll share a bit of what that's like with you. Now, I've been going out with friends, going for walks, and even trip with Xplorer (my organization), but that's all part of my life here!

So, a normal day for me her is this: I wake up at 6:30 when my alarm goes off, and get up about 10 minutes later after checking my Instagram and Snapchat. Then I get dressed, make my bed, blah blah blah.. then I eat as much as possible (my host mom thinks I'm skinny and is trying to fatten me up) and leave my group of condominiums to buy water and wait for the school bus, which normally passes at about 7:40. I always enjoy the ride to school, in the warm bus, watching the world pass by. Then I sit through 8 classes a day, with 2 recesses, one is 10 minutes and the other is 30, and it's a fun time to talk with friends and eat snacks. Then I head home in the school bus at about 2:30 and eat lunch, once again as much as I can handle, and usually talk with my host mom a bit. Then it's the time of day that I can relax, go for a walk, do homework, work on college scholarships, or just sleep. in the evening, we drink coffee, chocolate or tea, with bread, and then it's off to watch TV and go to bed!

This is a cheap little cafe I found with great coffee and atmosphere!

The fact that I have a routine like this makes me so happy, but I am also ready to get involved in new things! I am planning on starting salsa lessons in a week or two, volunteering, and joining a youth group this weekend! Don't be fooled by this strict routine, I often cook, go to a cafe to read and journal, or spend time with friends as well. I already saw Thor and Justice league with friends and I'm enjoying my time here as I should. I have also been dealing with a bit of homesickness, especially around Thanksgiving, but my host family prepared a healthy hamburger for me with homemade french fries that gave me a taste of home. My friends also invited me to their house for a "thanksgiving dinner" of chicken, rice, potatoes, and pasta. The thought behind it was what made me happy, and most of all, thankful.

The market in Otavalo ( the picture doesn't do it justice)

We also went on a trip to Otavalo and Cuicocha this past weekend with Xplorer! Otavalo is an indigenous town with a huge market full of hand made Ecuadorian souvenirs including alpaca scarfs, blankets and hoodies, key chains, bracelets, hand carved knives and wallets, Jewelry, and countless other beautiful things to negotiate for. We also went to Cuicocha, which is a lake that was formed by an erupted volcano! There are no fish because of the volcanic chemicals in the water, and because the edges are like craters or walls, there are no beaches on which to reproduce. But it was an awesome experience, we went on a boat around the lake, ate some amazing food, and bought some great souvenirs for friends, family, and of course, a few for ourselves.

Of course, Cuicocha!

 Thanks again for reading, and sorry for the lag! Hope you enjoy staying updated and I will keep posting!