Friends at last!

So this is a post about one of the major parts of every exchange student's experience; Friends! Now, I just want to say that making friends is also difficult for almost all exchange students. Although I've felt like I had friends all year, I haven't made the effort to have close Ecuadorian friends until around Christmas time. Since friendships generally take months or even years to form, it's a bit of a sped up process for someone who is only living in a country for 10 months total. In saying all of that, this past week I started to see the results of relentlessly inviting friends to do things, inviting myself to group outings, and putting myself in conversations when I had no idea what people were talking about. So,  I guess it's time to let you know exactly what I've been up to!

Martin, Michelle, and I

On Wednesday, I went to the movies and to eat with two classmates, Michelle and Martin. Although I have gone out with classmates before, I've never felt as comfortable or included as I did that day. We saw Game night (Noche de juegos in Spanish), had shawarma, and I ended up staying the night at Michelle's house. Even though it may have just been hanging out with the exchange student to them, it meant so much more to me. 

Roberto, Anita, Mabe and of course me!

Two of the closest friends I've made here are sisters from my church; Anita and Mabe. They've made a few appearances in my previous blog posts, and I've felt comfortable with them since day 1. That being said, we've grown closer and closer, and I truly feel like we could be sisters now. On Saturday, they invited me to a party (not to worry, it was more like a dance) and I spent the night at their house afterwords. On Sunday, us and one of my classmates (Roberto) went to eat hornado, a typical Ecuadorian dish. I got to see an Ecuadorian market and spend time with amazing friends. 

At the dance with Anita <3

Getting ready for the dance with Mabe

 Although I've heard that the first 4 or 5 months of exchange are harder and the second half is the payoff, I've never truly understood it until now. Time continues to pass faster and faster, and I am cherishing every moment of my last 3 and 1/2 months in Quito. I hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the friendships I've made here. Until my next post!