Mom's visit- Quito

I never wrote about my mom's trip and the Galapagos Islands.

I waited anxiously for my mom to walk down the runway, took her to our hostel and went to bed. I could see how anxious but excited she was that first night, and I blabbered away showing her everything I had seen and learned and where I had been in my four months there.

The first morning we ate a typical Ecuadorian breakfast- eggs, juice, bread, coffee, etc, and headed out to meet up with Jeff. We took our parents on the Ecovia bus and his dad immediately was pickpocketed and lost $200 or so. Why he was carrying that much and why he put it all in the same place we're still not sure, but he quickly learned how life was in Ecuador and how careful you had to be. We went downtown, went up to the Panecillo to overlook the city and then went and climbed around the Basilica. Mom got a first class look at the taxis and the city- everything that went on and she seemed astonishingly okay with it all.

We went back to my host parent's house for lunch. They made llapingachos- potato pancake type things- not really sure what they are but they're delicious. Mom loved talking to my family, thanking them for being great to me, and they loved meeting her too. I was amazed how great their Spanish was and how these two worlds of mine could mesh so well. Mom got to meet everyone in the family, including Sammy and we had a wonderful time. That night we went to dinner with Jeff's family at Cafe Mosaico to overlook the city at night and had a lovely time.

The next day we just hung out, ate and went to Mitad del Mundo. It was a fun little journey out there, met Jeff's family and his host mom and walked around. Jeff thought his family would hate it and it's commercialism, but they loved it. Even though it's not the real one, it's still cool to be so close? Then we went back to the hotel, rested, met Jeff's family for dinner at Mamasomethingorothers where Jeff and I tried Cuy (guinea pig) because it was one of the things we had been meaning to do during our journey abroad. So we did. And it was gross. Just kind of slimy and fatty, not exactly appetizing but Jeff (a vegetarian) loved it. Then we headed on over to quiz night (THE LAST QUIZ NIGHT!) and everyone who came brought a family member if they were in town so it was kind of special. We ended up winning, don't tell anyone we cheated and they added up the score wrong, but it was cool to win on the last time. We weren't able to use our money very well but oh well. We still won! I had to say goodbye to everyone- Meaghan was by far the hardest and my eyes filled with tears. The people on my trip really enriched the experience and I can't imagine it any other way.

Then we headed off to Galapagos. I'll write about that later since I need to go study now.

People

One of the most drastic differences is the way I look at people. I'm now able to see everyone as pretty equal. Everyone has faults, everyone has wonderful qualities. No one person is better than the other, but some think that. Some of the happiest people I've met were also the most economically poor, with tattered clothes and little to their name. This all sounds so cliche but it's so very true.

Take Anderson, for example. He was a five year old boy who came to the after school program at Munequitos school in Lumbisi, a small farming community not too far from the town where my university was located. His clothes never fit him, his shirt was always dirty, and the zipper on his pants always fell down. He was a little bit behind in school and never seemed very interested in learning, but he was so happy and loving. Maybe he just craved attention and the volunteers at the school were the only ones to give him some. He was always climbing over someone and sitting on someone's lap. I know he didn't mean to, but he just exuded love toward us. He just needed people and he made every day of volunteering more interesting and worthwhile. I still don't know the impact he had on me, but he made me feel needed.

I'm drastically more understanding and accepting of people's differences. Race, disabilities, language barriers, economic status, and other qualities that normally divide people are now purely people, and it doesn't matter their status in life because they're just people who are all special.

Everyone strives for something. A lot of people strive for money. We all need things in our lives- food, water, shelter, heat in the winter, and clothing. But to what extent do we have to have everything be fancy? It's nice to have a great meal, clean water, a space heater and nice clothes. But these are not necessities. As much as I try to eliminate material possessions from my life, I can't get rid of everything or many things. I wish I could, but I'm stuck in the material world and I am a material girl.

Some people strive for a good time. Most of the time that involves alcohol. That fact... is the same in both the US and Ecuador. I still realize I don't need it to have fun and everything that comes with it, but it's good to experience different things at different times. Lots of people all around the world do, but I only want to every once in a while.

I like differences. And change now. And that's a good thing.

Language

One of the main things that has changed has my language abilities. I can now understand most people when they talk in Spanish, whether it's every 5th word or the whole conversation. It's especially fun when they don't think I know Spanish so they gossip and I can know what they're saying.

I now want to speak in Spanish any chance I have, want to use the random little phrases I learned from various people, and when I use those phrases, people give me weird looks but they became so natural for me to use.

Spanish is a great, structured language so I feel better about writing in English too. I don't know if I am, but I try to be.