The Beginning...

For the past six months, I have been planning for my three-week trip to Quito, Ecuador with Indiana University-Southeast. In Ecuador, I will have the opportunity to teach English in three local schools, complete a research project on a topic of my choice, and engage in a service learning initiative… and that’s just the academic stuff! Along with that, I get to travel to over 16 different places in Ecuador, and experience the culture, the people, and especially, the FOOD! Talk about a dream come true!

Prior to actually leaving for Ecuador, I must complete seminar sessions at IU-S which will help me prepare for my field work. These sessions will last for three weeks, so during that time I will be living with teachers from the program. My first stop is Bloomington, Indiana where I will stay with Dr. Guerra and her wonderful eight-year old twins. As soon as I walked in, they made me feel welcome and right at home! I absolutely fell in love with her son and daughter who are amazing artists, musicians, and dancers! We talked for hours about Harry Potter, gymnastics, and their time in Bloomington. Dr. Guerra and her kids made my five-hour car ride worth it! I can’t wait to see them again in a few weeks!

Tomorrow, I head to Louisville, Kentucky to meet my second host, Lauren, a former participant in the Ecuador program. I can’t wait to meet her and hear about her experience in Quito!

I am so excited to be teaching on my first trip abroad. I hope to put eight years of Spanish to use and immerse myself in a culture that I have been learning about for so long. For the next few weeks, I plan to blog about my experiences in Indiana and in Ecuador to help remember this exciting time in my life!

23 days and counting until I’m in Quito!!

P.S. Thank you Mom and Dad for driving to and from Bloomington in the terrible weather. You guys are awesome for doing this and for making Ecuador happen J