El Hogar

SURPRISE!!! I came home for Mother's Day.  (I said I was going to the [east] coast didn't I?!)  My mom nearly died when I rang the doorbell at midnight last night--surprise accomplished!!

Leaving the Dor and the wonderful memories I made there was so hard.  There were multiple airport/airplane breakdowns involved. Don't judge.  I'm so happy to be home, but I am just having a really hard time grasping that this semester is behind me and that summer has begun. I study-ed abroad.  I liv-ed in the Dor. Past tense. So strange.

I am so thankful for the people I met, the places I went, and the lessons I learned along the way.  Thanks to everyone for the letters, emails, random videos, and skype dates along the way.  Thank you for keeping me in your prayers, and I ask that you keep praying for me as I transition back to life in the States and move on to my next adventure--Asia!!!

Adios mis queridos amigos y gracias a uds. por todo!

Acabe las Clases

I'M DONE!!! Hallelujah.
After 3 finals and a presentation sandwiched in between 2 dance shows and an 8 page paper, I'm finally done.  3 days.  Finished.  And. it. feels. so. good.

This morning I spent 6 hours waiting in line for a document saying that the Ecua government is going to let me leave the country.  How kind. (or dumb...ya know, pick your fave).

I'd have to say the saddest part of the last three days has been ending my dance class.  It has been one of the best experiences here in the Dor.  The teacher, Marcela, was amazing and so kind and encouraging, and the students were so patient and willing to laugh and play along with me.  Our dance show was a blast too--we did a group dance to Eminem ("Not Afraid"), individual dances in smaller groups that we had created ourselves, and then improv.  The improv was hilarious tonight.  AD/DC came booming through the speakers, and we all just went for it!!  I had SO MUCH FUN in that class, and I am so sorry to say goodbye to it and to the friends I've made in it.  It's so weird to start saying goodbyes already.  But, I'm officially done at the university.  One day to relax, and then off to the coast! SO EXCITED!!

Cocine

I cooked!!!

Tonight I made my family chili and cornbread like the good southern girl I am.  And I didn't fail.  They both turned out really well and my family enjoyed them.  Later this week I tackle: cobbler.
Look at me being so domestic. #wontlastlong

La Casa de Juliana

For a while now, Juliana has been asking us if we'd like to go to her house to meet her family and try her favorite Ecua dish.  Of course we did!!! It took us all semester, but yesterday we finally got to go.  She invited her aunts and uncles and her grandmother, and we got to meet all of her siblings.  They were all so kind to us.  We enjoyed a delicious meal of encebollado (soup with fish and a bunch of other things!!) that her mom prepared, and then we all sat in the living room and talked for a couple hours.  It was the most encouraged I have felt in a long time.  I was able to share stories, understand everything they were saying, make jokes, and even laugh at theirs.  I felt so accomplished, like I really have been learning Spanish while I've been here.  I know that sounds dumb, but some days its hard to know how much you've learned or improved.  Jenny even managed to explain the electoral college in Spanish!! Not sure I could do that in English!

After a wonderful time with her family, Jenny, Anneke, and I went back to Anneke's house (because her parents were out of town...we were keeping her company!) and had a good old-fashioned sleepover, complete with banana splits and chick flicks.

Amazing day, now a sick day.  Cool. Actually it's a good excuse to study for exams.  But I thought I was over this whole getting sick thing.  Less than 2 weeks left in the Dor...unbelievable.

La Ronda

Tonight, Anneke, Jenny, and I went out with a girl named Veronica (who is coming to UNC next year YAY!!) and a few of her friends.  We went to la Ronda in centro historico to drink canelaza and hang out.  We had so much fun.  We laughed and told bad jokes and talked about next year (they're all studying abroad).  After canelaza we went to a tiny karaoke place.  We were virtually the only ones there, so we sang whatever we wanted.  We sang for 2 solid hours--Jonas Bros, Brittany Spears, Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Destiny's Child, Shakira, Enrique--we sang them all!!! It was one of my favorite nights in the Dor and I am just so excited that Veronica is coming to the Thrill next year!!

Johnny, La Gente Esta Muy Loca

If you don't get the title, you haven't heard the song, and should therefore consider yourself blessed.

I've met a lot of really interesting people traveling around Ecuador.  It's really incredible to see how similar we all are--we love adventure, travel, hammocks, coffee, sweatpants, the unexpected, and small tastes of home.

So many people I have met are about 10 years out of college, have realized that their job has started to consume their lives and that they've lost all their passion and adventure, so they decided to quit, leave their old life behind, and spend 6 months to a year traveling the world.  How cool is that?  How brave is that?!  Most of them started in Argentina, then headed to Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, and will end in Colombia.  Others are a little more scatter-brained.  Last weekend I met a guy who traveled all around Southeast Asia, then headed to India, South Africa, and is now exploring South America. So through meeting all these people at various hostels, on group trips, and random bus rides, I've gotten to hear about their adventures through South America and also about where they're from.  And basically, my list of places I want to go has grown exponentially!

Something we have come to discover about European travelers: they are beast at languages.  Sure, we're trying to learn Spanish--our second language.  And so are they, only it's their fifth language. Casual.
Last weekend we stayed in a room with four German travelers who spoke fluent German (obviously), Spanish, and English (if not more languages).  It wasn't fair...they could understand us no matter what language we spoke in, but they could talk to each other in German and we had no idea what was going on.  So, Anneke and I decided it was only fair to speak with reeeeaaaaal southern accents!!  That way we could understand each other, but they had no chance of understanding us!  It was hilarious, and it leveled the playing field.  Take that!  In all honesty, we spoke to them in Spanish most of the time and we all got along great...but we had a blast with ours southern drawls an' redneck talk. Yeehaw.

Cuenca y Vilcabamba

The past 4 days have been a whirlwind of buses and adventures!  /Brace yourself for a long post--

Anneke and I began with a 10 hour bus ride south from Quito to Cuenca.  We spent a day just exploring and seeing all Cuenca had to offer--some really cool Inca ruins, impressive churches, and a big-city/small-town feel (it makes sense if you've experienced it).  On the main square we found some real ice cream which we ate several times a day!  The first time we were eating in the park and we noticed that all the little kids were staring at us.  I still have no idea why, but we thought maybe we could make it into a show--blond gringas eating ice cream in the park.  Ok it doesn't sound like much, but it'd be a HUGE hit with the kiddos in Cuenca!  One of the kids befriended us.  Her name was Brenda and she was trying to sell us some garbage bags.  When we proposed the idea of buying her an ice cream instead, she didn't complain!  From then on, we were ice cream buds and got to hang out with her several times before we left!

Cuenca

The ruins!

Chasing a llama...I'm so good with animals.

We stayed in an awesome hostel called El Cafecito where we were put in a dorm room off of the cafe.  It had great music playing (almost) all the time, a garden area out back with hammocks, and plenty of coffee!

Also, we ate Cuy (guinea pig)--an Ecua specialty!!!

We ate the WHOLE thing!!!

Our second day there, we met up with Alex and Ben and went to Cajas National Park.  We spent about 4 hours hiking around and seeing some really incredible views.  Cajas is known for its more than 200 lagunas, and the purpose of the park is conservation, not tourism, which made for a really different experience--it was a little like trekking through the wild!  Also in Cajas are pockets of forest filled with paper trees--which personally I think are where JR Tolkien got the idea for LOTR cause those things were creeeeeeepy (and also super cool)!!

Check out our awesome rain boots. You jealous.

Yo soy Frodo.

 The next day we ditched Ben and Alex (just kidding...kinda) and headed to Vilcabamba via Loja.  In Loja we made another mini-friend named Pierce.  He was four years old and found us waiting for a taxi to Vilcabamba.  His dad seemed so tired--this kid was SUPER high energy.  Pierce walked right up to us and said, "Hey kids, can you help me dig for worm eggs?"  So of course, I had (ok, wanted) to dig for worm eggs (in a parking lot of rock and asphalt), and now I've got a best friend fo lyfe!

Anyway, the first night there, we went looking for our hostel in the Rumi Wilco Reserve on the mountain.  We got real confused, but about an hour later, starving and sick of carrying all our stuff, we found it!  On the way we discovered a cool looking restaurant, so we retraced our steps as soon as we got settled in our room.  The food was good, but the ambiance was even better---let's just say the owner/waiter wore a cowboy hat and had a handlebar mustache.  I know.  I found a cowboy in the Dor. What up?

Sunday we got up and walked around the reserve a little, found a great breakfast place with homemade granola, and then headed to our real hostel (we were only at the reserve because there wasn't room for us at our actual hostel the first night).  We spent the day hammocking and reading and just relaxing.  The greatest part of our hostel was that it was nestled up in the mountains, secluded from everything else, with incredible views of the Vilcabamba mountains.  You just have to see these mountains before you die. I love the Apps, but these were the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen!!

View from the dining room of the hostel.

Monday we just had to explore the mountains a bit, so we went for a hike.  We made it to the top of the mountain and had the most spectacular views on the way up.  At the top, we had a little picnic and just took in the splendor of it all.  Got to be in my top 5 favorite moments in the Dor!

About half way up the mountain.

Logramos!!  On the other side of the really green mountain in the
 bottom left corner is where the  other picture was taken.

Eventually, it was time for dinner and a bus home.  We found great Mexican food and then headed back to Loja where we began our 15 hr ride home (it only took 11!!!).  The bus was like an airplane...only better! We got refreshments, the seats reclined, we had leg rests....For the first time I didn't feel like a giant trying to twist into the smallest possible position to sleep!!! We got back at 6 this morning, tired, and ready to start another week.  Vivo la vida!

Los Momentos de Mi Vida

That moment when you realize you have three weeks left in the Dor, and only 3 more days of classes*.  #roughlife

That moment when you are walking through a downpour and realize your umbrella is no longer waterproof. #worst

*Don't worry mom and dad, I still have papers, presentations, readings, and exams to do. I promise I am studying abroad.

Cambiando los Planes

Something I've become very good at in the Dor: changing my plans.  They don't really exist.  You can try to have lunch with people, try to make reservations and plan a trip on the weekends, but in the back of your mind you always know there's a chance it won't happen--something will change.  So to all you control freaks out there: brace yourself for the Dor.

We were all set--paid for the house we were renting, packed our bags, set a meeting time...and then nothing went according to plan.  We were supposed to go to Tansupa this weekend, but through a lot of random and unforeseen events, we took a taxi on a whim to another bus station, found a bus that wasn't full, and hopped on.  We went to Canoa!!

It was even better than last time (we went there for Carnaval and I was sick the whole time).  We hung out on the beach, read books, played soccer, watch amazing sunsets, ate as many smoothies as we could get our hands on, and walked on the beach until our sunburn forced us to turn around and head for shade.  It was incredible and SO tranquilo! (I know my hair is awesome. Be jealous.)

And of course, any trip to Canoa would not be complete without a visit (or 6.....in 3 days....not kidding) to Saboreame--our favorite restaurant!!

El Dia Fantastico

Today was full chevere because...

--Found out an Ecua guy in my lit class spent last summer in the Apex/Cary area. We bonded over Southpoint, Cheesecake Factory, Crossroads, Myrtle Beach, UNC, and of course, Bojangles!!!

--Had the best lunch ever.

--One of my classes was canceled.

--Got out of my last class early and got to go home for an early start to the weekend.

--Ate llapingachos for dinner

--Hung out with Tio Alex and watched an awesome new show.

--Going to the beach tonight!!!

Awkward moment of the day:

In conversation I tried to say, "It's not that I don't like campfires, I just don't want to burn down the forest." But instead of campfires, I said faggots. Oops.

Un Mes

Only one month left in the Dor. I'm having such a hard time grasping that concept. I put so much effort into making this my home in the beginning and really investing here, and I must have done a darn good job, because I'm not ready for it to be over.

Don't get me wrong I miss home, and family, and friends...but this feels like home and family and friends too (in a different way, but still). But hey, one month is still a long time, and I've got plenty to aprovechar (take advantage of good things)!

(the following lists are in no particular order)

Things I miss from home:

-Davis library (nerd alert. don't care.)

-not eating rice at every meal

-the Pit/quad/arboretum/Franklin/UNC!!

-cheddar cheese

-basketball

-family/friends/community (obviously)

-Summit church

-days without rain

-quiet--the city is loud.

-being a "normal" height

-sarcasm

Things I'm going to have a hard time saying adios to:

-espanol...mucho espanol

-a ton of fresh fruit every day

-walking everywhere

-beautiful bus ride to school

-living on the equator--getting to skip winter

-mountains

-the cutest baby brother ever

-rooftop jam sessions

-patacones, ahi, llapingachos, chifles, te manzanilla, ...

-lunch for 2$

-traveling every weekend

-being 30 min. late and still being "on time"

-having a fairly easy workload at la universidad

-constant adventure

-being a gringa

Song of the day: U Smile--Justin Bieber

Playing on repeat. #notashamed

Futbol y Mindo

Friday night we all went to our first Ecua futbol game! It was insane. The fans put the TarPit to shame. Deportivo Quito played Barcelona (not from Spain...from the coast). A friend of ours is a big Barcelona fan, so we cheered for them. The fans never stopped chanting, there were fireworks being launched from the crowd, flares going off, balloons being waved, a couple fights being started, and the loudest whistles you've ever hear to cheer the team on. Unfortunately, Barcelona lost 2-0, but in all fairness, they did just travel 2 mi above sea level, and it takes longer than a day to get acclimated to that altitude. But all in all, it was a blast...and we learned some really vulgar vocab. Ya never know when you're going to need that!

Then Anneke and I headed back to Mindo for Saturday and Sunday. We just loved it so much the first time (3 months ago....it doesn't seem that long ago!) that we decided to regresar to do everything we missed the first time. So, we saw even more waterfalls, went to visit a butterfly farm, and ate a LOT more chocolate from the chocolateria. Richest brownies I've ever tasted. Also, finished the second book of the Hunger Games in less than a day--sooo good. It was such a great, chill weekend...so nice to get away from the city and just relax. Lovelovelove.

El Cuento de Mi Vida (especialmente en el Dor)

We had to divide up by height today in lit class. We lined up tallest to shortest. Not even kidding, all the girls were on the short half and all the boys on the tall half. It looked like a straight up middle school dance. (minus the slutty kids who formed the grind pit by the speakers. dude you're 13. chill.) Except for me. There was one guy taller than me...and only because he gelled his hair up. (Ecua guys haven't gotten the notice that gel ain't cool. No one wants to touch your crusty, pokey hair. And if I can see where your skull is or the exact path your comb took this morning, we've got problems my friend.)

Whether it was lining up for picture day in first grade or picking teams in gym class in middle school or taking my shoes off to take pictures at prom or dividing up into groups in lit class...

this is the story of my life.

And I wouldn't change it for a million bucks. It would suck to be short. (no offense shorties.)

La Pascua

Friday I went to the procession in downtown Quito. Good Friday is a really big deal here, bigger than Easter (which I think perfectly describes the religious attitude here), and they have an enormous parade downtown that lasts 3 to 4 hours.

Thousands gather to watch and participate. There are bands, floats (carried on people's shoulders of the saints and of Mary), people dressed in purple KKK-like costumes (the significance of which I never did figure out), and many walked the streets flagellating themselves with ropes and whips.

I think that was the saddest part for me--these people that think that beating themselves to feel the pain of Christ's torture will elevate them spiritually, make them feel closer to God, be closer to God. And that is not Christianity, it's not the Gospel, it's not Truth.

My Jesus died on Good Friday. He was beaten and abused, forced to carry his cross of shame up the mountain wearing a crown of thorns. My Jesus had his hands and feet pounded into that cross with nails, had people taunting him, teasing him, laughing at him, spitting on him. And My Jesus looked to his Father and said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

My Jesus knew my sins, He knew my faults and my imperfections, and He knew that I was the one doing the taunting, teasing, laughing, and spitting. And He died for me. He gave his life and experienced complete separation from God (Hell itself) so that I would never have to be separated from Him.

He spent three days in the tomb. And on the third day, He was resurrected. Jesus came back to life--He wasn't resuscitated or given some smelling salts...He was dead, and then He was alive. He is alive. And because of that, He has reconciled me to the Father to the highest degree. There is nothing I can do to bring me closer to God, to elevate myself spiritually, to earn or deserve the love of my God. It's done. It is finished. Jesus on the cross in my place. The wrath of the Father on Him, so that His grace may be on me. Mercy is not getting what I deserve (death) and grace is getting what I don't deserve (God), and my Jesus gave me both on the cross.

So I will not be self-flagellating. I won't be a captive to my sin, chained down by shame and guilt. I will not try to earn God's love and approval. I will not seek to experience some spiritual high. I will look at the cross and thank my Jesus that He loved me so much. Thank Him that He died for me, and even more, that He was resurrected. Thank Him that He paid the cost so that I might receive the reward. That is the Truth, the Gospel. That is My Jesus.

GALAPAGAMOS!!!

For Semana Santa, I went to the Galapagos with Jenny, Tio Alex, his brother Nate, and a couple other girls from USFQ and one of their families. We had so much fun exploring the islands and learning about all the biodiversity and the extreme conservation going on to help preserve the islands. It's so cool to think that I've been to the place where Charles Darwin first came up with the idea of adaptation and natural selection!

5 reasons why the Galapagos Islands are one of the coolest places on Earth:

1. We hung out with sea lions on the reg. We became besties. We swam together, barked together, waddled together...basically experienced the deepest bond possible between human and creature. They were hilarious! Fighting for food, showing off when they knew we were watching, cuddling up when it started to rain. There's a really good chance that I'll have a pet sea lion when I grow up!

2. We were on the equator, on a tropical island, with gorgeous white sand beaches pale blue waters. It's like the most perfect tropical paradise, but you're still in the Dor--no 5 star hotels or resorts, no fancy restaurants, no special transportation. We staying in a "hotel" (basically a hostel), rode around in the back of a truck, and ate typical Ecua food. So chill!

3. We snorkeled every day. My favorite two places were a grieta (no idea in english) formed from a fissure--the cliffs were 15 meters up on either side (perfect for climbing and jumping) and you could see almost all the way to the bottom of the water--and the love canal--the running joke on the island "entran dos y salen tres" (2 go in and 3 come out!). The love canal is where we got to snorkel with the sea lions and see giant schools of fish like the ones from Finding Nemo...I kept waiting for them to start making shapes and give me directions to P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.

4. The wildlife is incredible! We saw giant turtles (including Lonesome George...he's kind of a big deal), and got to try on a 150 year old turtle shell. We saw blue-footed boobies, and made the obvious inappropriate jokes because though we may be college students, we're still too immature to let that opportunity pass. We danced with iguanas, swam with sharks (no cages, no fiber glass, no life vest....just us and Jaws), spotted penguins, and hung out with pelicans. There's nothing like it!

Hate it when you misspell something like that. Whoops.

"I Love Bobbies"

5. In so small a space, there is so much diversity in landscape. We went into a cave that had been hollowed out by lava and water. We hiked up a small mountain and got an incredible panoramic of the island. We got to hear ghost stories of the first pirates to land on the islands, see their houses carved out of the mountains, and see the figure heads they'd carved as well! And of course we spent a ton of time in the ocean at the gorgeous beaches!

Bonus: Since Jenny's birthday is in the summer (and we really wanted free dessert) we celebrated her fake Ecua cumpleanos!

La Casa de Rafa

This afternoon I did one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. EVER.

I went with Tio Alex and his brother Nathan to a restaurant called House of Rafa. It's the only one of its kind in the world! We went underground into a cave and ate in complete darkness. Like, no matter how long we sat there straining our eyes, we couldn't adjust because there just wasn't any light. Our waiters were blind which just made the experience that much cooler. We ordered the surprise appetizer and then the surprise main dish. We each got a different main dish and had a hilarious time figuring out what we were eating!

How darkness changes everything:

-you have no idea what you're eating...you just go for it. super scary when it feels slimy.

-after bringing your fork to your mouth 4 times with no food on it, you give up and eat with your hands.

-when something doesn't taste right or have a good texture, you spit it out. no one knows.

-when you're reaching for the condiments, you tend to stick your hand in the condiments.

-you have no idea how much is left on your plate, so you stop eating when you're full.

-when you share food, you don't politely stab it with a fork and pass it to another person. you grope around in the air for the other person's hand and stick whatever food you have in your hand, in theirs. I gave Tio Alex a grilled banana and he gave me a handful of rice.

-you leave the restaurant having no idea how much food is on your face and clothing. especially when you aren't nice to each other like we were and smear avocado on people's faces and squirt water at them...they never see it coming!

I highly recommend it!!! There are 11 "dark" restaurants around the world, so find one!!! (Casa de Rafa is the only dark restaurant in a cave with blind servers.)

Solo en el Dor

Only in the Dor do you walk up to get your student ID card and the woman tells you that she gave it to another gringa. "Don't you know Melissa?"

A of all, just because we're gringas doesn't mean we know each other.

B of all, why would you give my ID card (and a bunch of others I might add) to someone they clearly didn't belong to?

C of all, Melissa, why would you take them??

Score of the day: found a restaurant with CHEDDAR CHEESE!!!!! got a burrito (actually more of a tortilla sandwhich!)--2$ #winning

Also, apparently Thursdays are ladies' nights at the movie theater. Hunger Games round 2. #herewego

Estoy Emocionada

It took me about 2 months before I said this phrase: Estoy emocionada. It means "I'm excited!!" but I just couldn't get it out of my head that I was saying "I'm emotional". So, I just didn't say it. That's right, I'm so stubborn that for 2 months I wasn't excited about anything (in Spanish). But I eventually got over it and have embraced my emotional excitement.

ESTOY EMOCIONADA QUE IRME A LAS GALAPAGOS!!!

Phew. I feel so much better getting that off my chest!

Another English/Spanish mix up I had when I first got here: Estoy embarazada.

Doesn't mean I'm embarrassed. Nope. I'm pregnant.

Definitely not the same thing.

Tres Anos en el Bano

In the bathroom today was a sign that said, "The average person will spend 3 years of their life sitting in the bathroom."

And that made me think....the average person would mean boys and girls. So girls probably spend a lot more than 3 years sitting in the bathroom....the boys just threw off the average.

And that made me think some more...that's probably not taking into account gringos in the Dor. Gringos probably spend a lot more than a lot more than 3 years sitting in the bathroom.

And then I thought even more...I sure hope the other 90-some-odd years of my life are more exciting.

What did you do today? Was it fun, exciting, adventurous, bold, new? Cause your innards are wasting enough of your life...you should probably make the rest of it count.

El Fin de Semana Mezclada

Friday was a whirlwind. Anneke and I got up super early to go to the free aerobics class in the park with about 50 middle-aged and older Ecua women. It was hilarious, because half the time, they could do the moves better than we could. It's official: when it comes to aerobics I am a flailing, mixed-up, spaz. Awesome.

We grabbed some coffee and bread for breakfast (What am I going to do when there's no longer a panaderia on every corner? ....probably cry....and lose weight haha.), met up with Jenny and Kane, and took off for Parque Metropolitana which we had heard about but never seen. I am so sad that Friday was the first time I went there. To get to the park (which Jenny figured out is less of a park and more of the wilderness...#sorryimnotsorry) you have to walk up the mountain. Quito is situated between Pichincha and another mountain. All the buildings are in the valley and kind of creep their way up the mountains. So we climbed the mountain and reached the most beautiful place in all of Quito. Trees everywhere, birds, butterflies, no city sounds...just nature. It was gorgeous. I wanted to spend all day there (and probably will at some point).

We were supposed to meet Juliana, so Anneke and Jenny turned back, but I loved it so much that I stayed for another 10 minutes or so. When I couldn't put it off any longer, I turned back. Then it happened. The stupidity. "Hey, I know. Wouldn't it be fun to run back down the mountain and see if I can catch up with Jenny and Anneke?" It was actually really fun, but my legs are definitely feelin' it today! And unfortunately, I didn't catch up with them because they cheated and took a cab. But I was only 5 minutes behind them, so I'd say that's pretty good!

We hung out with Juliana for a few hours, got our nails done, and then headed home for lunch.

Later a bunch of us met up to watch Pride and Prejudice (Congratulations to Ben for watching it for the first time...most of it anyway. I'm proud of you.) and then headed out to Sports Planet where we once again sweet-talked the owner into illegally streaming the UNC game for us. Without Kendall, it was hard to watch--so many turnovers--but the team really stepped up, and Zeller was redonkulous (most likely because his name is Tyler and that instantly makes you a bad-ass baller...just sayin'), so we won in overtime. What up elite 8??! I don't think the table of Ohio fans liked us very much as we sang out alma mader, but we don't really care! And they looked at us super weird when we said "Go to hell Duke" at the end. Listen up everybody, we will always and forever say "Go to hell Duke" because no matter how badly we want to beat you, and no matter how important the game is that we just played, our hatred for them will be greater. Take it as a compliment, we like you too much to say it about you.

Saturday, I got up and made a cake for Anneke's birthday dinner, and then went to see The Hunger Games with Jenny. It was phenomenal. I felt like I'd had a work out when I left because my heart was racing and my arms and legs were sore because I was so tense with excitement. That is the first movie that I feel like has really done a book justice. It's much harder to watch than to read, but they did an amazing job staying true to the characters and the plot. AND it was filmed in NC!! Carolina....best in the world.

Last night we went to dinner for Anneke's birthday at this fancy Italian place with over 50 kinds of pizza. It was delicious and we finished it off with the cake I made! Great night.

Sorry for the lack of pictures. I figured Spring Break was coming and I was going to flood you with pictures then...so I'd give you a break this weekend.

La Marcha

Today was an indigenous march in Quito, so basically half the city was shut down and school was canceled. EXCEPT, I don't go to school in Quito. Cumbaya wasn't affected at all...so I had classes. Que chevs.

Anyway, these indigenous people live in a region of Ecuador that was recently contracted by the President to a Chinese mining company. The mine is going to affect their water supply, its taking over their land, and they probably won't receive many of the financial benefits of the mine at all. So, starting March 8th, they began walking...and walking...and walking some more...until they arrived in Quito today. Now that's impressive.

In my grammar class today we spent the whole time reading articles and talking about it, and then my teacher taught us the chants for both sides (there is also a counter-march organized by the government)..ya know like 1, 2, 3, 4 we don't want you here no more 5, 6, 7, 8 I'm so hungry, I wish I ate. Ok, so that's probably never been a protest cheer but you know what I mean. Anyway, we spent probably 5 minutes just shouting at each other, one side of the room chanting the indigenous cheer and the other side the government one--waving fists, angry faces...the whole shebang. Very entertaining let me assure you. But hey, that's just how we learn Spanish here in the Dor.

Sidenote #1: wore rain boots and it rained today. that never happens!

Sidenote #2: supporting k-butter here in the Dor.

El Hombre en el Bus

There's always something exciting on the bus to school. Vendors come through selling everything under the sun, on a beautiful day you can see everything in the valley in one of the best views the Dor can offer, and on days like today, you get an awesome surprise!

A man got on the bus today holding speakers, and out of nowhere he starts blasting a beat. Then comes the best part--a freestyle rap....in Spanish....about Jesus!! It was awesome! He talked about other things too in the rap, but the main point was to end war and embrace the redemption and reconciliation offered in Christ. That is, until he went around collecting money....when he saw me and my friend Kane were gringos, he started rapping about Michael Jackson coming back from the dead. Not exactly Biblical, unless MJ is a modern-day Lazarus. You never know.

Stanley Plano, Cotapaxi, y Sorpresas

Irish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This weekend has been a whirlwind. It all started with Flat Stanley. For those of you who don't know who that is, 1. feel sad that you missed out on a crucial part of childhood and 2. look it up. A boy named Eddi sent me his Flat Stanley to live in and experience the Dor for a few weeks, so Anneke, Stanley, and I headed back to Mitad del Mundo and took some pictures.

Later, we caught up with Jenny to watch the UNC game, but it wasn't showing. Disappointed, we didn't know what to do. So...I got a tattoo. Sorpresa! Sorry Holly and Jeff.

When I got home, Mama told me that it was my cousin's 1st birthday (that would be my 6th birthday celebration in the Dor) and we were going to my abuela's house for a little party. If you didn't believe me before, here's proof that Ecua babies are the cutest in the entire world. Donato's on the left (18 months) and Saulito is on the right (1 year!).

I hung out with my uncle and some of his friends later that night. Then, this morning I got up early and Anneke, Emeline, and I went biking down Cotapaxi, the world's tallest active volcano. (Yes, I said biking.) We started at the top wearing every piece of clothing we owned with sleet stinging our face as we rode down. But by the time we got to the bottom, it was beautiful, we got to see a non-cloudy view of the volcano, and it was warm enough to be in a T-shirt. #winning. The ride down was gorgeous, we had an awesome lunch, and we met some really cool people. There were 3 students from Europe in our group who are in the Dor doing a gap year and then a French guy who is looking into business opportunities here. And our guide spoke Spanglish the entire time, perhaps the only language I am fluent in right now, which was hilarious.

"What are men compared to rocks and mountains?" --Pride and Prejudice

But probably one of the absolute greatest parts of my weekend: UNC WON and d00k LOST!!!! (basically a double win for the heels! #goheelsgoamerica)

Oh yea, and I didn't actually get a tattoo. I went with Jenny to get hers. Yay for spontaneity! You are welcome Holly and Jeff.

Dia de Pi

Ok, so I know I'm a day late. But there's a reason.

I'm not a pie person. I'll take cake or cookies or ice cream (mmmm ice cream) any day over pie. I know, I know, that makes me un-American. "Wait, you like apple pie though right?" NO WAY! That might be my least favorite kind.

Anyway. Yesterday was Pi day, and I didn't celebrate with pie. Sacrilege. I know. But today I found out that there is no Pi day in the Dor. What?! Everyone in Latin America writes dates backwards: day/month/year, so there is no 3/14. Now I wish I had eaten pie and brought pie (as in pizza pie...I'm a cheater, get over it.) to my classes to share the magic and joy that is Pi day with all the Ecuas. Well, I suppose there's always next time....that I happen to be in the Dor on March 14th. It could happen.

Cafe con Juliana

Something dreadful has happened. I, T-Capucha (google-translate it.), have become a coffee snob. "What? No! This can't be happening." I know my friend. I'm just as sad and shocked as you are.

Here's the thing. I've never been a big coffee drinker...and I'm still not. But I have learned to appreciate a cup of coffee now and again (thanks to the free coffee every Sunday morning at my church with the super sugary creamer!). But tonight when Juliana and I had our Spanglish date (I teach her some English, she teaches me some Spanish...its awesome), I ordered cafe con leche and for the first time ever I thought there was too much leche and not enough cafe. (They really should have called if leche con cafe cause that was like a drop of coffee in a cup of milk.)

I don't know what's the matter with me. Too much milk? Normally, this is what my coffee looks like in the States:

You think I'm kidding. I'm not.

I guess I'm just going to have to face it: I'm starting to like the taste of coffee.

Who am I? What is the Dor doing to me?

Existential crisis going on here.

Un Besito

That is how every text, phone conversation, and facebook message ends in Spanish. Un besito. (a little kiss). And it's also how every face-to-face interaction begins and ends. It took so much getting used to. I'm not talking about 1 or 2 kisses a day, I'm talking tens, hundreds, thousands...ok not that many, but a lot.

You kiss someone to say hello (whether or not you have a conversation with them...you could just be passing by each other). You kiss them to say goodbye. You kiss anyone in the group around you (stranger and friend alike). You kiss them cause they're pretty, you kiss them cause their name ends in a vowel, you kiss them because the sun is out, you kiss them because you're hungry...

One of the most amusing things to watch is someone approach a group of people, because when they walk up they go around to each individual and give them a kiss, say a few words, and then before they leave make the rounds again. (It's even funnier when the group is around a table because then the person has to fenagle chairs and awkward sitting/standing kisses.) Or like when I went to the pastor's house for Bible study, before we left, you had to go around and kiss everyone goodbye. All 20 or so people kissed the other 20 or so. Math whizzes out there, how many kisses went down in that room?

And there's different types of kisses which I've decided tell you a lot about the person's personality. There are the people who go cheek to cheek and kind of kiss the air--very European, very friendly, very casual. There are those who won't make any contact at all with you and just kiss the air--super shy, afraid of what you think of them because you're a gringa and they know the whole kissing thing is new to you. Others will plant one on you, you can't even really kiss them back because their face is like perpendicular to yours--bold, possibly trying to get with a gringa, usually the full-of-themselves types.

Another kissing rule: girls always get kissed...it's simple. Boys and girls give girls kisses. Boys give boys handshakes. Though I think that's kind of dumb. Be a man. Pucker up.

Heads up: when I get back stateside, I will be greeting you with un besito. Get ready.

Tiputini

Where do I even begin? 4(ish) days in the Amazon Rainforest. Here we go.

Tiputini is a research station our in the middle of nowhere--I've literally never been so far from civilization--in the Amazon which is home to more biodiversity than anywhere else on the planet. The journey there included a 30 min. plane ride, a 2 hour motorized canoe ride, 2 hours in a chiva, and another 2 hours in a motorized canoe, plus some waiting in between (including a few hours in the waiting area of a hotel with parrots, guinea pigs, peacockes, and monkeys that just roamed the property...what??). 9 hours later, we finally made it! (It's hard to believe in a country the size of Oregon it would take 9+ hours to get anywhere, but that is how remote this place is.) That first night we learned the ropes (minimal electricity, no hot water, biodegradable shampoo/conditioner/soap/toothpaste/deodorant/all-in-one, etc.), ate some dinner, and hit the sack.

Boat numero uno.

J: How do you get the monkey to come to you?

T: Just stick your arm out and make kissing noises.

J: If only it were that easy to get a man.

Days started at 6:30am with breakfast. There were 15 of us, so we split into 3 groups for the activities every day. Our guide's name was Jose and he was AWESOME! Saturday morning my group headed out to the laguna. Jose paddled us around in the canoe and showed us all kinds of wildlife. I don't think I've ever been somewhere so silent, and so loud at the same time. The jungle noises were amazing, but everything felt so still and quiet. Absolutely incredible. We hiked about 2.5 hours back to camp through the rainforest. Jose would stop every once in a while mid-stride and say "There, look there. Do you see it?" "See what?" "The frog, right there?" "Where? Oh you mean the one the size of my fingernail, the exact color of the leaves, not moving at all, 10 feet away from you? Oh yea. Of course I saw that." I swear he was born with special animal-spotting talents. During the walk he made us friendship bracelets out of something similar to bamboo and showed us a fruit that would tint our skin for a few days--so we all got jungle tats. Mine was supposed to be an alpaca, but it became a cave-drawing-esk version of a llamasaur gracias a Jenny's fine art skills!

La laguna

Amigos para siempre!

Rockin' the carolina-blue hipster oves. A true woman of the jungle.

Sad news. He didn't become a prince.

We got some time to eat and nap before heading out again. This time to el torre--the tower. We climbed up about 50m (150 ft) of scaffolding to reach a platform in a tree. We sat up there for hours just looking at birds and ants (I've never seen so many species of ants...some the size of my pinky finger) and all kinds of things, taking in the breath-taking view of the canopy. On the way back Jose continued to teach us about the rainforest and showed us a really cool tree with special ants living inside of it that gave off an acid that killed every other kind of tree allowing this one to survive. The acid gives them a lemon-y flavor, so we all go to taste some. Everyone had a few, but when Jose asked who was going to stick their tongue on the branch to get the rest....and there were no volunteers....I figured, you only live once, might as well eat some ants. Just call me Reina de Las Hormigas (Queen of the Ants). But really. I killed their future queens. So now I'm queen.

Con Jose!

Reina de Las Hormigas

That night it poured rain for 12 hours straight, but it cooled everything off so we didn't mind. In the morning we headed out again. This time for the canopy--pretty much high ropes on steroids. There were a bunch of rope bridges up above the canopy (once again talkin' around 50m if not more) which I loved. It was hilarious running across them and terrifying the other girls in the group. Is that mean? Oops. At the end of one there is a ladder bolted to a taller part of the tree and a tiny platform at the top. No netting. Just a carabiner and a ladder, and a really long drop if you fall. One of the girls was so scared (poor thing) and started singing Phantom of the Opera, High School Musical, and Little Mermaid to calm her nerves. What a great combination. "I've never laughed so hard in a tree." --J.K.

Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waitin' on the other siiiiiiiiddde. It's the climb. --Miley

RAVE-ing in the jungle with my tat.

Runnin' dat bridge.

After the canopy Jose found us a good Tarzan vine so we spent some time swinging through the jungle making George of the Jungle calls. (I can't believe this is actually my life.) After lunch and nap we headed out for the river float. With life vests on, we took to the water and spent an hour or so floating down the river. Oh right, I forgot to mention that in this river are caymans (small crocodiles), phiranas, anacondas, and a fish that will swim up your stream of urine and lodge itself in your body if you pee. But, no big deal...we just went swimming.

After dinner they took us out on the boat to look for caymans. We didn't actually see any, but we saw a bunch of monkeys and snakes and bats which were really awesome. Also, I have never in my life seen so many stars. You could see exactly where the clouds were in the sky because the rest was so lit up by stars. One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen.

Got up early this morning and spent the next 10 hours getting home. Incredible weekend in the Dor.