VICTORY! ...In the small things

This is going to be another random post like the last one, but in a different way. I'm just going to talk about some of the small victories I've had on exchange, and surprisingly, a lot of which have come about recently!

Mabe & Me <3

One of the big things I want to mention is that for the last 3 weeks, I have been the only exchange student with my organization since the other girl was a semester student. Although I miss Jordan and all the fun things we did together, I love that I am completely submerged in speaking Spanish.
It has also helped me grow closer to my classmates, because when I want to go out and do something, I ask them, instead of my fellow American. Don't get me wrong, I think other exchange students are awesome and make great friends, but it's also nice to have an experience where there is nobody there to lean on but Ecuadorians, since I came to make relationships with Ecuadorians.

Some of the traditional food from the Amazon. Delicious!

Something else I want to share is that I think I've finally adjusted to the food! I think what made adjusting to the food so hard is that I didn't expect to have any problems with it, since I'm the exact opposite of a picky eater. But with exchange comes surprises of all kinds, and not being a huge fan of the food was one of my not-so-nice surprises. But, as time has passed, I've learned not to focus on the heavy salt, or lack of variety, but on the mouth watering soups, thirst-quenching juices with every meal, and the wonderful conversation. I've also learned where to find some foods from home and have loved cooking. So, I am more than happy to say that I've learned to love some their food, tolerate others, and when it's best to cook for myself.

So, although I'm sure I have more to share, I will do so in a later post. I hope you enjoyed and feel free to ask questions or let me know what aspect of my exchange you would like to hear about!

This, That & the Other

Well, I have been able to relax lately, as we are on vacation between the two semesters. That being said, I will share just a few little things that have been going on, or that I missed in other posts.

Me and my friend at the concert

First of all, I went to a concert a few weeks ago with a friend from church, and we saw San Miel Marcos. None of you probably know who that is, but I knew a few of the songs and we had a wonderful night that ended with McDonald's at midnight, because what good day doesn't?

A bit of a bigger deal here in Ecuador is that it's Carnival! Most people only know about Brazil's amazing parades and parties, but just about all of South and central America celebrates in some way. Here in Ecuador it's a bit like a water fight, only you are free to use whatever you like! This may include eggs, flour, or in my case, dirt. I "played carnival" after school one day with my classmates and had so much fun that I forgot to take any pictures!

Helado de Paila

Me, my host brother's wife, and her mom

Because of carnival, there is no work until tomorrow, and no school all week! (also for semester break) Anyways, my host family took me to a town about an hour from Quito on Sunday, and another one about 40 minutes away on Monday. On Sunday we walked around, watched other people "play carnival," and enjoyed helado de paila which is a type of ice cream similar to sorbet, but more artisan and delicious. On Monday, we were in Tumbaco at my host brother's mother in law's house, with the whole family. It was an amazing day of enjoying crab, more artisan ice cream, and spending time with family.

So, there's a little update, and I hope to have more to share in the next post. Until then, thanks for reading!