If you haven't noticed, the past couple posts instead of saying Adios, I have said ciao... the reason for this is:
"In Ecuador people say 'ciao' for goodbye, not 'adios'. Adios literally means 'to God'; in other words, it is a formal way of saying goodbye and the Ecuadorians take it to mean they will never see you again until you both meet God."
I will see you all again!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Estoy lista viajar a Ecuador... MANANA!
Tomorrow is the day. The first time I will leave the country, the first time in 5 years I will fly, the first time i'll get my passport stamped (the most exciting thing to me).
I really cannot wait... now if only someone would stop hogging the washing machine so I can finish my laundry!
One week away from talking to my mother every day might be the hardest part about the experience. She got very emotional the other day when talking about how she won't be able to see me before I get on the plane, nor will I personally be able to call her to say I landed in Miami and in Guayaquil. I did sarcastically offer the options of her coming down to Laguardia from Boston. haha
In all, it is a surreal feeling and been long awaited. I cannot believe it is finally here, but I am ready and just have to do a little more prep before 8am tomorrow. I'm hoping that during work tonight (COME VISIT ME driving the 9:30pm, 11:30pm & 1:30am runs) I will be able to listen to some more Coffee Break Espanol and get better at my spanish. I did pack my Spanish phrase book though... no worries.
During the break, I have set up posts to automatically post on here with some interesting cultural facts about Duran, and Ecuador in general!
See you all in a week!
Ciao amigos! Have a great Spring break!
I really cannot wait... now if only someone would stop hogging the washing machine so I can finish my laundry!
One week away from talking to my mother every day might be the hardest part about the experience. She got very emotional the other day when talking about how she won't be able to see me before I get on the plane, nor will I personally be able to call her to say I landed in Miami and in Guayaquil. I did sarcastically offer the options of her coming down to Laguardia from Boston. haha
In all, it is a surreal feeling and been long awaited. I cannot believe it is finally here, but I am ready and just have to do a little more prep before 8am tomorrow. I'm hoping that during work tonight (COME VISIT ME driving the 9:30pm, 11:30pm & 1:30am runs) I will be able to listen to some more Coffee Break Espanol and get better at my spanish. I did pack my Spanish phrase book though... no worries.
During the break, I have set up posts to automatically post on here with some interesting cultural facts about Duran, and Ecuador in general!
See you all in a week!
Ciao amigos! Have a great Spring break!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Ecuador blogs
I finally thought to look at other Ecuador blogs. I found this blog about a couple who has traveled to Ecuador, called the Ecuador Escape.
While skimming through the site, I found this post that I thought might help me, and my team, from a first hand experience of speaking Spanish in Ecuador (but most likely not!)... check it out!
Here’s my Top Ten needed Spanish Language Phrases for a Vacation in Ecuador... continued here
Ciao!
Congratulations you leave in... 5 days & 18 hours?!
Holy cow! How did we get here?
Last night was our last meeting before we leave (which is Saturday), and had the lovely Emily, from the GO! office, come talk with us and remind us of things, go over stuff we learned early in the process, and get us ready to go.
After finally getting my check from my Give Forward fundraising, I was able to drop that off today (so that GO doesn't cancel my plane ticket... eek!) and now i'm ready to go. I am just STILL freaking out about packing. Thankfully our meeting definitely tied up some loose ends, and I was able to learn that a lot of other people are worrying about the same things, especially packing... well the girls at least. PLUS my mom is sending a pre-trip care package this week. So fun!
i FINALLY remembered to tell my team about this blog... HI TEAM! :) and sent them the link. I am excited to get some reaction back and some interest in other things I should write about, which I already have.
Since this week has been one of the most stressful of my college career, who would have thought it would have been my LAST semester, falling behind on here has happened. Now, with lots of ideas rolling in from these fantastic people I get to spend a WHOLEEEE week with, during this week I'm going to try and focus on culture ideas, so that i can focus on them myself.
I'm off to listen to some coffee break espanol and practice my spanish!
Ciao amigos!
Last night was our last meeting before we leave (which is Saturday), and had the lovely Emily, from the GO! office, come talk with us and remind us of things, go over stuff we learned early in the process, and get us ready to go.
After finally getting my check from my Give Forward fundraising, I was able to drop that off today (so that GO doesn't cancel my plane ticket... eek!) and now i'm ready to go. I am just STILL freaking out about packing. Thankfully our meeting definitely tied up some loose ends, and I was able to learn that a lot of other people are worrying about the same things, especially packing... well the girls at least. PLUS my mom is sending a pre-trip care package this week. So fun!
i FINALLY remembered to tell my team about this blog... HI TEAM! :) and sent them the link. I am excited to get some reaction back and some interest in other things I should write about, which I already have.
Since this week has been one of the most stressful of my college career, who would have thought it would have been my LAST semester, falling behind on here has happened. Now, with lots of ideas rolling in from these fantastic people I get to spend a WHOLEEEE week with, during this week I'm going to try and focus on culture ideas, so that i can focus on them myself.
I'm off to listen to some coffee break espanol and practice my spanish!
Ciao amigos!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Anxiety week (and a half)
One week from today I will be arriving in Guayaquil, Ecuador. It seems unreal. Waking up this morning, the first thing I could think of was the fact that it is only one week until I am finally in the single place that I have been preparing for for the past many months.
With the show (Into the Woods) ending tomorrow, I think that the stress that has been put on my body the past couple weeks will finally slightly be lifted. My body doesn't tell me that I am stressed in the same way that everyone else's does. Instead, this past week I have had the most horrendous pain in my stomach, which finally went away, but today, after going for a run, it came back. Not only that... but I also sleep texted a friend the other night - SO WEIRD! I have never been through this form of stress before, then again, i don't think i have ever been in this much stress before. Funny to think this is the most stressful semester and also is my last one - and it doesn't even end here.
Thinking past Ecuador is one thing I am trying very hard to not do is think about jobs and housing and graduating... and life. I shall have to wait until I get back, tooooo bad! :)
Tomorrow night marks the last weekly meeting before our trip. I need to get good at soccer ASAP (by the way)... maybe i'll be this!
Just a wish...
Adios for now.
With the show (Into the Woods) ending tomorrow, I think that the stress that has been put on my body the past couple weeks will finally slightly be lifted. My body doesn't tell me that I am stressed in the same way that everyone else's does. Instead, this past week I have had the most horrendous pain in my stomach, which finally went away, but today, after going for a run, it came back. Not only that... but I also sleep texted a friend the other night - SO WEIRD! I have never been through this form of stress before, then again, i don't think i have ever been in this much stress before. Funny to think this is the most stressful semester and also is my last one - and it doesn't even end here.
Thinking past Ecuador is one thing I am trying very hard to not do is think about jobs and housing and graduating... and life. I shall have to wait until I get back, tooooo bad! :)
Tomorrow night marks the last weekly meeting before our trip. I need to get good at soccer ASAP (by the way)... maybe i'll be this!
Just a wish...
Adios for now.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Happy Commissioning!
Yesterday was a very Ecuador filled day!
To start, from 1-3pm today we had a waffle brunch at Rodrigue's coffee house. Not as many people showed up as we had hoped but we made some money and had lots of fun playing games and just hanging out per usual. In between that I was able to finish up the program (though I had to skip mass) for Into the Woods! FINALLY.
Also last night was our GO! Spring trip commissioning ceremony held in the church basement. It was really nice to be able to see the other teams who are going on their trips at the same time as ours, it is actually really exciting! I can't wait to get back and talk to them all about there's, and thankfully I know at least one person on each trip. At the ceremony we were given pretty wooden dove cut out necklaces by our board buddy, chaperones and leader.
To start, from 1-3pm today we had a waffle brunch at Rodrigue's coffee house. Not as many people showed up as we had hoped but we made some money and had lots of fun playing games and just hanging out per usual. In between that I was able to finish up the program (though I had to skip mass) for Into the Woods! FINALLY.
Also last night was our GO! Spring trip commissioning ceremony held in the church basement. It was really nice to be able to see the other teams who are going on their trips at the same time as ours, it is actually really exciting! I can't wait to get back and talk to them all about there's, and thankfully I know at least one person on each trip. At the ceremony we were given pretty wooden dove cut out necklaces by our board buddy, chaperones and leader.
Unfortunately, instead of attending mass after the ceremony with my team, I had to head back to the library to slave away, only to see them again at 10 for our meeting. Our board buddy came to chat and check in on us, which was really nice, and actually really helpful because she went to Ecuador as well. She gave us a few tips on clothes and things to bring (especially bug spray apparently)! Our meeting went the same, per usual: longest highs and lows of all time, and a nice little chat about everything coming up. It is so ridiculous to think that next week is our last meeting before our TRIP! Eeeek!
Well off to the theater I go! Tech week = HELL... especially during midterms.
Peace&Love + Adios
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