Friday, December 7, 2012

Why yes, I do still exist.

Welp, it's been forever, I know.  Life has just been oober busy, but I beg forgiveness for my tardiness on updating y'all on my Ecua-life.

I'll try and be as concise as possible as to not overwhelm you with what's been happening:


  • Halloween was a riot! During special ed., we went around "trick or treating" and the kids had their faces painted like Spiderman, a tiger and Batman (SO cute as you can see!). During my Girls English class, we had a little party and then went outside to play at the park. Then, to continue the fun, during Girls Program, we ended up having a giant dance party - I think I had more fun than the girls did...welp! What can ya do?! 
Cristofer (aka Spiderman), Armando (aka Batman)
and Bryan (aka the Ferocious Tiger) celebrating!
Angeles, Tatiana, Roxana, Jessica, Diana, Mery, Pierina,
Stefany, Samantha and me celebrating "El Dia de las Brujas"
LET'S BOOGIE!!!
  • Went to Mindo (a cute little city about 2 hours outside of Quito) for a weekend.  There was an Ecua soccer game on the night before so we thought it best to go out and celebrate...for 11 hours! Needless to say we were all schmammered and then terribly hungover for our travels, but we persevered and arrived at our destination just in time for lunch [which consisted of white rice and water/sprite].  After lunch, we found our hostel and got ready to zip line! Holy Mother of the Earth!!! So freaking wild. I don't understand why I was the only one FREAKING OUT and SCREAMING MY LUNGS OUT! WOWZERS! It was just beyond crazy - flying over valleys and forest is definitely not something you do everyday. *I apologize to all those zip-lining for my awful profanities...I was just scared sh*tless. 
  • Flying via the "Mariposa" over the jungle 
    Ready to fly!



  • That next week, Mrs. Caragher (my dear friend Colleen's mom) came to visit!! Oh what a fluffing riot! *"Who would have thought that I would be in Ecuador with Olivia Young!"* While the house mom was here, we ventured to the Middle of the World (Mitad del Mundo) and stood on the fake equator and then the real deal equator [only a few kilometers away]. Then, we were treated like queens and were invited to stay at the Hilton - man oh man! What luxury. You don't really realize what a nice bed/shower is until you don't have it for a while. So fluffing delicious to say the least. Needless to say I LOVED having adventures with a mom that I have known since I was 4 years old. ***Maybe my mom and dad will get the hint and then they would HAVE to come visit me because they have known me my whole life! :) 

  • Straddling the fake equator 
    Colleen on the Southern Hemisphere & her
    momma on the Northern Hemisphere 


    Becky and me trying to balance an egg at the
    real Middle of the World 

    Me, Becky and Colleen out to lunch after the Middle of the
    World activities with Mrs. Caragher 


  • A couple weeks later, we had a 3 day weekend, so we decided to venture to the coast [Montañita to be exact - a 10 hour drive....Lord, save us all]. What a FABULOUS TIME! That place is just da bomb - hippie land for sure, but who doesn't love a good hippie or two!? We basically ate, drank and danced throughout the entirety of the weekend. Although the weather wasn't the best, we dealt and it was a riot. I ended up getting 3 dreads. Yes, I said dreads. And they look fluffing amazing if I do say so myself. While in Hippie-land, do as the hippies do. Thirteen out of the fifteen of us went so it was a very cool time to just hang out all together and relax! 

  • Randy (Becky), Colin (Colleen)
    & Reuben (Robin) loving the surf and sand
    Enjoying the night life in Montañita
    Colin rockin' our socks off on the drizzy-drum
    while we danced in the streets 

  • Two weekends ago, it was Thanksgiving. Now, for those of you who do not know, Thanksgiving is a BIG holiday in my family -- it is otherwise known as Crafting weekend. I LIVE for crafting, eating 24-7, movie marathons and Christmas pukes. So, as you can imagine, it was quite difficult to be away from my family...knowing that they would all be together was a hard pill to swallow, but I am beyond thankful I have truly incredible friends who have turned into a family down here in Quito to help keep my mind off of being homesick. My mom was kind enough to send down some ornaments to decorate, so on Thursday, while my family was crafting Up North, I was able to craft with my family down in Quito. On Sunday, we had our Thanksgiving feast, and oh man was it a feast! Madre Cindy's turkey cooking skills are wicked. It was really amazing that I was able to celebrate one of my favorite holidays with some truly awe-inspiring people - I am so very thankful and blessed to have this experience as well as these wonderful & supportive people around me everyday.  
Joe, Bobby, David, Julia, Lea, Lili, Andrew, Collen
Irene, Lauren, Elizabeth, Becky and myself on our Ecua-Thanksgiving!
  • On Wednesday was El Centro del Muchacho Trabajador's 48th Birthday! WOW! What a day, to say the least. Started at 6:30AM when we had to help make breakfast for around 500 people and didn't end until 8PM when the dance was over. During the morning I was helped cook 1500 eggs. Yes, ME cooking. But I must say I did a damn good job - didn't burn one egg! After breaky, the volunteers headed the games/activities. Colleen and I worked the 3-legged race -- what a sight that was! Man alive.  The kids were crazy trying to win so they could get a ticket. It was like Gladiator: Ecua-style. Also, there was this thing called a Dunk-Tank. Yeah. All the volunteers had to sit in a chair, while the kids/adults lined up to throw a ball at two cups - when those two cups fell...the MOST FREEZING COLD WATER would drench you. It was hilarious!!! Cold...but hilarious. Then there was mass and lunch, then we all went down to La Marin (the other center) and had dinner/movie & games then a dance. Little did the people know that us volunteers had choreographed a "flash mob" dance. IT. WAS. FLUFFING. EPIC. So very fun, indeed! I am beyond blessed and fortunate to be a part of this amazing organization and I am proud to say that I am a part of the CMT family. 

So...that's been my life since I've been away from the blogosphere. Hope y'all are doing well. Thinking of you often and missing you more and more each day. 

XO,
Oliver

Saturday, September 29, 2012

About fluffing time!

Yes, yes, I know it has been ages since I have filled y'all in on my Ecua-life, and I apologize - it's just so darn busy that I find myself wanting sleep more than anything else [what else is new hahaha]!  So....life is good.  My new schedule is full with kiddos, but it keeps me on my toes and these kids [some more than others, but that's a usual thing] are just so amazing.

Now I am going to try and catch youz all up on my life - this should be interesting...

  • Working 1-on-1 with Cristofer is a challenge, but it's so worth it to see the smile on his face when he does well in class! I find that when he doesn't want to do what I have planned, he shuts himself down for about 10-15 minutes -- he won't look at me, he won't respond, he won't do anything. Then, like a switch, he will be with me, working on whatever it is, be it numbers or colors or whatnot.  It's just so crazy; I can't help myself feeling frustrated, but then I have to remind myself he is probably more frustrated than I am. He finally knows my name, so that's a real plus :)  But I am in the process of creating a number and letter book for him - association with things [animals, toys, food, etc.] have really been helping him recognize what things are [example: "I" como isla."]  Cristofer's amigo Armondo - who works with 2-year volunteer Juliana - is also a cutie-patootie. It's great for these two boys to be together, learning, because they can learn from each other too. They like to have competitions and then yell out "YO GANÉ!" (I WON!), but there is really no actual winner...they are just kinda wacky, but you cannot help but love them! 
Armondo reading to Cristofer - look at the concentration!

Armondo and me blowing bubbles at "recess" 
My main man Cristofer teaching Juliana, Dr. Elizabeth,
Lourdes & Bryan [from left to right] how to play "Go Fish!"
  • My girls English class is the same as before - some are chatty-Kathys and others are beyond reserved. **I want to apologize to all my teachers, from kindergarten to senior year at Loras for being such a social butterfly - I must have been exhausting!**  Thus far, we have learned colors, numbers 1-20, school supplies AND 7 verbs!  It's taken a while to get to where we are, but I am SO very proud of my girls! For funzies, one of my newer students, Angeles, knows the song "This little light of mine", so we ended up teaching it to our class and they all LOVED it! I made them laminated lyrics to memorize and hopefully we will be able to sing it at church or something.  In the past 2 weeks, we have invited the Beginners, Level 1 and Level 2 A girls to come watch AND participate in singing! We also ventured to Colleen's health class [which, by the way, has 37 students!!!!] and performed for them...and when I say WE performed, I mean I performed and my girls were huddled in a corner, mumbling the words - quite hilarious! 
My girls, from left to right: [back row] Diana, Mery, Stefany, Pierina,
[front row] Tatiana, Jessica, Samantha & Roxana 

  • My Girls Program is going well - we are still making beaded headbands...a MUCH more intricate and longer process than I had originally anticipated, but what can ya do!? They are turning out really well - but I have made a note that we must use more string, otherwise these headbands will be for babies only. Lord have mercy! I finished mine and it looks pretty darn cute if I do say so myself :) Hopefully by Christmas we will at least have a few made so these girls can receive some mula for all of their hard work - check them out and let me know if you are interested in purchasing from these wonderful chickadees 
Damaris, Maria Agusta and Mery working diligently to start
their "sintillos" 
Only $2.50 for these bad boys - and my girls are making some
with designs of flowers, stripes and all that cool jazz! 


  • My two classes of Level 2 Boys - man oh man! These boys are very smart - they started school a week later than the girls, yet they are now learning the same things [and a lot know WAY more English than I had originally thought].  My morning class is pretty good - I just have to remind myself that they are 8-11 year olds and are not really into being peppy about learning.  I definitely have so much more energy than they do, but I hope that with each class, they start to open up more.  My afternoon English class....they are a handful to say the least!  We start class at 5PM and that, to me is just una locura [a crazy thing/occurance]! These boys, as well as myself, are just pooped by that time, it's hard to expect them to pay attention/behave well. We had a really good class this past Thursday, but other than that, they have been wild animals. I definitely have my teacher look down pat due to this class: pursed lips, hand on hip, one eyebrow slightly arched - I feel like I am Ms. Trunchbull from Matilda, but it gets the job done. It's really hard, because I want to just sit down and laugh/cry because I am either so frustrated with them that I cannot do anything else, but obviously that cannot happen. I usually just turn around and while writing on the white board I will let out a giggle or two, because they are just so wild it's funny! Gosh - I probably am not the best one to teach pre-teen/teenage boys due to my personal lack of maturity, especially when I am in exhaustion-mode. Vamos a ver.... 
  • Two weeks ago was my month anniversary of being in Quito! We decided to take a little field trip to Pinchincha, a GINORMOUS mountain --- what a fun way to spend your anniversary, climbing/scraping up a side of a mountain, sweating and wanting to cry and fall over. But in all actuality it was an amazing experience! Yes, I was the last one in line while climbing and I had to make pit-stops every 20 seconds -- thank the Lord in Heaven that Colleen was there with me, supporting me and encouraging me to go on! -- but I made it pretty darn far.  Colleen, Robin, Esteban, Nelson and I ate lunch somewhere about an hour and a half south of the tippity-top and then headed back down to grab a much needed beer and a snack. The views going up and coming down the mountain side were just absolutely breathtaking and the clean air was a very welcome gift! Now, keep your hands, feet and objects inside the vehicle and enjoy the ride:
The Teleferico - the somewhat gondola that brought us up pretty
high so we could start our journey - some AMAZING views from up here! 

Having a photo-shoot with the mountainous
scenery in the background. 
Me and my new friends
How fluffing gorgeous is this?! Mountains surrounding my home.

Can you see the winding tan path throughout the green hills...?
Yeah, that's what we climbed.
It was like I could almost touch the heavens.
My girls, Colleen and Robin.
Wouldn't know what I would've done without them.
  • What else has happened since I have last dished the deets....?! It's so hard to remember - all my days mush together. But today Colleen, Robin, Becky, Irene and I ventured downstairs to the salon and treated ourselves to $5 pedicures and $3 manicures! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I may just have to treat myself every month or so :) 
That's all I can think of for right now. Sorry for the novel, but my adventures need to be shared, so y'all will just have to deal! Much love and wish me luck this week - students will be taking their first English test with Señorita Olivia! 

XOXO y hasta pronto 

Saturday, September 8, 2012

I guess it's time for a change...?

So, on Wednesday we found out that we will be getting new schedules.  There were supposedly new govermental rules for the educational systems in Ecuador, but it was found that the CMT didn't actually need to follow them because we are like our own little entity...I was a little worried, because I was just starting to get into a groove, but I am SO very pleased that I will not have to wake up to a 5:47AM alarm :)

Here is my new and improved "horario":

MONDAY:

  • 8-11AM 
    • Special Education [I will be working 1-on-1 with a young boy named Christopher] 
  • 2-3PM
    • Level 2 Girls English [I believe my same class that I had last week]
  • 3-4PM
    • Baños/Club de Lectura [same as before; helping girls read at their appropriate level]
  • 4-5PM
    • Girls Work [same group :) and we are starting our headbands on Monday - YIPEEEE!]
  • 6:45-7:45PM 
    • Adult Education [which doesn't start until next week]
TUESDAY:
  • 8-11AM 
    • Special Education
  • 11-12PM
    • Level 2 Boys English [a totally new class!]
  • 2-3PM 
    • 3rd Grade Art Class [co-teaching with Lea. PRAISE!]
  • 3-4PM
    • 4th Grade Art Class [again, with Lea]
  • 5-6PM
    • Level 2 Boys English [a different class than in the morning]
  • 6:45-7:45PM 
    • Adult Education
WEDNESDAY:
  • 8-11AM 
    • Special Education 
  • 2-3PM
    • Level 2 Girls English
  • 3-4PM
    • Baños/Club de Lectura 
  • 4-5PM
    • Girls Work 
  • 6:45-7:45PM 
    • Adult Education 
THURSDAY:
  • 8-11AM 
    • Special Education
  • 11-12PM
    • Level 2 Boys English 
  • 2-3PM 
    • 2nd Grade Informatica [computer class - teaching them things on Word and so on]
  • 3-4PM
    • 3rd Grade Informatica 
  • 4-5PM
    • 4th Grade Informatica
  • 5-6PM
    • Level 2 Boys English
  • 6:45-7:45PM 
    • Adult Education
FRIDAY:
  • 8-11AM
    • Special Education
  • 11-12PM
    • Level 2 Boys English
  • 2-3PM
    • Level 2 Girls English
  • 3-4PM
    • Baños/Club de Lectura
  • 4-5PM
    • Girls Work
  • 5-6PM
    • Level 2 Boys English
  • 6:45-7:45
    • Adult Education
Yep. That's the new schedule --- some major changes, but:

a) not as early as a start every morning because I don't have to catch the bus at 7AM

b) NO FREAKING GYM CLASS!!! Although my 4th graders weren't bad at all and we had a lot of fun playing freeze tag, my 5th graders were pieces of work.  Needless to say I made most of the class run for one thing or another. Oi vey! 

c) I'm excited to be working 1-on-1 with Christopher and hopefully I'll be able to help him out in some little way [like learning the colors!] :) 

I am a bit nervous to start on Monday, because it will be like a brand new "First Day of School", but so many new experiences to be had!!!

Just wanted to update y'all with the new changes happening down on the equator  -- much love, xoxox 



Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Well, well, well......

OKAY! So, I am alive - I know y'all were worried, teehee! There is SO very much to fill you in on, so bear with me....


  • 8 million years ago [i.e. 2 Sunday's ago]: the volunteers and I participated in a "minga" which is where we do a house visit with one of the families who are part of the WBC, so we went up into the mountains --- I swear I was mountain climbing it was so freaking high!!! --- and were pack mules for 5.5 hours.  Yes, I took part in manual labor, such as moving bricks, dirt and wheel-barreling it out to the street. WOOF! It was definitely a doozie, but it was great to be able to help these families with something that would have taken them over a month to do themselves. These families are such diligent workers, it made me feel a bit awkward when I realized how tired/absolutely DISGUSTING I was. 
    • We can all see in this picture, I was lookin' like a hot mess - my complexion is not usually so..."tan". As I said to Colleen on the bus home, noting my dirtiness: "I look like a monkey!" 



  • The week after the minga, we continued with our education on becoming teachers - I give MAD props to all of the teachers/profs out there, especially those teaching a foreign language.  Lord have mercy on my soul. It is quite difficult to say the least. But, thanks to Corry & John, we were all almost-fully-prepared for classes. Obvi, we had to celebrate making it through orientation AND having the rest of the volunteers join us :) 
    • So now, the final roll call: Elizabeth, Julia, Julianna, Joe, David [all returnees], Lea, Lili [the 2 German girlies], Colleen [my savior!], Robin, Irene, Becky, Bobby, Lauren, & Andrew 
  • Wednesday = laundry day!!! Yahoo! It hasn't rained here for around 3ish months so it is beyond dusty here and it just gets everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. Therefore, it was truly a blessing to have my ragamuffin clothes washed.  Since I didn't want anything to get ruined/shrink in the industrial fire place that is the dryer, I put up this nifty contraption that Colleen is so beautifully displaying:

**This clothes line actually did work [yet I did have to sleep under it since the clothes weren't dry!] I am very pleased that I was told to get this rope &pins because I would be rockin' the birthday suit and I do not believe that is acceptable in the Ecua-life.
  • Here are a few pics of my classrooms that I am "Senorita Olivia" in:
{That would be Robin, in our Beginners English classroom, practicing yelling at her imaginary students}

{My Level 2 Girls English classroom - note the "Vocab Tree" in the background}

  • YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF CLASSES!!! How can that be?! It went well - I was beyond exhuastedddddd at the end of the day, but a nice glass of vino did help tremendously! 
  • {Colleen & me - Not our first "first day of school" rodeo! Love this woman and am so blessed to be able to share this experience with her!!!}

    • In Special Ed. yesterday, I colored a picture to hang on the very drab wall, and here is the finished product! Don't you want to be in that class!? SO much funzies  

    • Today (Tuesday) in Special Ed, I recreated a Dragon Ball Z character with a leopard tail?? as well as helped Lauren decorate our calendar...not too shabby if I do say so myself!


    • This week, I am not teaching Beginners English because there were not enough boys to sign up, but hopefully this week, they'll wrangle a few little Ecuas to be a part of my amazing class :) {yes, I am tooting my own horn, thank you very much!}

    • My Level 2 Girls English was pretty good yesterday [we did introductions and reviewed the rules in class], but today was a LOT of fun!!! We "reviewed" colors, but they only knew about 2 colors in English, so I honestly say I have my work cut out for me.  Although I did have to punish one of my girls, I think she really got the message [she had to sit in the corner and stare at the wall while the rest of the class played "Simon Says"] and hopefully that will be the end of the misbehaving! *Please, keep your fingers crossed for me! But Corry & John came into my class today and were very impressed with my teaching skills and they even said as they were leaving "What is your major?? You really should be a teacher! You are great!!!!" So needless to say that was an amazing confidence boost, which was so very much appreciated. 
    • Today, I had my first P.E. class and totally rocked it, if I do say so myself! Thank the almighty Lord above.  We did about 15ish minutes of warm-ups and then played "Tio Sam" [aka Uncle Sam from the good ol' Holy Family Parish School], which is pretty much like freeze tag and the kiddos LOVED it. HOOOOOORRRAAAAYY!!! 
    • The Girls Work Program is a bit unorganized, but the girls themselves are alright; some days are better than others, but that is true for everyone and I need to keep that in mind.  We are going to the store tomorrow to get supplies for the beaded headbands they are making --- I'll be taking orders, if anyone would like a few! *Proceeds go straight to the girls making the products :) 

Welp! That's all I can think of to share with y'all.  My brain is pretty much a pile of mush, as you can see above - but just wanted to give an update on my Ecua-life. 

Send up a little prayer to the Big Man in the sky to help me get through this first week of teaching.  I would greatly appreciated it :) 

Much love xoxox  

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Not even done with the first week...

...and this place is incredible. The other volunteers [which consist of ten new year-longs (two boys and eight girls, with two from Germany) and five returnees] are just stupendous! Seriously we have so much fun together and we have only known each other for a handful of days and we act as though we have known each other for ages. This week we have created "T Time" where we all get together and watch Game of Thrones --- a bit of a scandalous show, I must say --- and I cannot wait to continue this tradition.

This week has been a bit overwhelming though:

  • We have had orientation every day and we have chatted about why we decided to be a part of the Centro del Muchacho Trabajador [CMT], what we expect to get out of this experience and much more. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to give back, work on my spanish skills, and make a difference in another's life. What I want to get out of this journey is to know that I had a role in bettering someone's life - even if it is only one person. Madre Miguel, Madre Cindy and Padre Juan really wanted to stress the concept and ideology of community and commitment; these two terms are the foundation of this project. One cannot be a part of the community, be it the community of volunteers or the CMT community, without commitment. Simple terms which create a beautiful connection between people! 
  • On Tuesday, we did home visits of a few of the families that belong to the center and one word to describe my thoughts/emotions: WOW. These families live north in the mountains, from 40-60 minute transmit to one of the three centers [Cotocollao - where we live, La Marin & La Gota de Leche].  And these "homes" were not homes at all...they were brick or concrete rooms, with a tin roof, with one or two beds that house families of six or more. Yet, although the "houses" are not much, these families are very proud of what the own, which is quite inspiring...and VERY humbling.  
  • Today was the day that we got our schedules of what we will be teaching. HOLY MOTHER OF THE EARTH!!! If I thought college was bad - my day will start around 5:45 or 6AM and go until 8PM when I am done with teaching.  Lawwwwwdddddd have mercy on my soul. Yes, there are breaks, but I have a full day. Take a looksies:
    • LUNES:
      • 8-10AM
        • Special Ed
      • 11:30-12:15
        • Beginners English (Boys)
      • 2-3PM
        • Level 2 English (Girls)
      • 3-4PM
        • Bathrooms (Girls) --- to make sure they are taking showers [children get to shower at the center every day to sustain a healthy life]
      • 4-4:50
        • Girls Work --- crafting and such to teach business 
      • 5-6PM
        • Beginners English (Boys)
      • 7-8PM
        • Adult Ed
    • MARTES:
      • 8-10AM
        • Special Ed
      • 11:30-12:15
        • Beginners English (Boys)
      • 2-3PM
        • Level 2 English (Girls)
      • 3-4PM
        • Bathrooms (Girls) --- to make sure they are taking showers [children get to shower at the center every day to sustain a healthy life]
      • 4-4:50
        • Girls Work --- crafting and such to teach business 
      • 4:55-5:40
        • 4th Grade Phys Ed
      • 7-8PM
        • Adult Ed 
    • MIERCOLES:
      • 8-9AM
        • Special Ed
      • 9:30-11:45
        • Informatica (5-7th grade) --- computer skills (i.e. using Word and such)
      • 2-3PM
        • Level 2 English (Girls)
      • 3-4PM
        • Bathrooms (Girls) --- to make sure they are taking showers [children get to shower at the center every day to sustain a healthy life]
      • 4-4:50
        • Girls Work --- crafting and such to teach business 
      • 5-6PM
        • Beginners English (Boys)
      • 7-8PM
        • Adult Ed
    • JUEVES:
      • 8-10AM
        • Special Ed
      • 11:30-12:15
        • Beginners English (Boys)
      • 2-3PM
        • Level 2 English (Girls)
      • 3-4PM
        • Bathrooms (Girls) --- to make sure they are taking showers [children get to shower at the center every day to sustain a healthy life]
      • 4-4:50
        • Girls Work --- crafting and such to teach business 
      • 4:55-5:40
        • 4th Grade Phys Ed
      • 7-8PM
        • Adult Ed 
    • VIERNES:
      • 8-10AM
        • Special Ed
      • 11:30-12:15
        • Beginners English (Boys)
      • 2-3PM
        • Level 2 English (Girls)
      • 3-4PM
        • Bathrooms (Girls) --- to make sure they are taking showers [children get to shower at the center every day to sustain a healthy life]
      • 4-4:50
        • Girls Work --- crafting and such to teach business 
      • 5-6PM
        • Beginners English (Boys)
      • 7-8PM
        • Adult Ed
  • Isn't that just the bee's knees!?!?! Not exactly what I was expecting, but I guess there is no turning back now.  So, for all of you out there reading this, please send a little prayer up to the Big Man in Heaven to send me courage and a whole lot of patience!!! 
So, that is all for now - have a big day of teaching me how to be a teacher tomorrow. Again, wish me luck and send up a good word to my main man! 

Love you all and I'll write soonzies :) 



Sunday, August 19, 2012

I'm alive!

Hello all!!!

So...today was the day: I left Milwaukee and am currently in Quito - aka my new home for the year! Although packing [thank you, Mom!] was a doozie --- NEED to remember to not leave packing until the night before  --- everything worked out.  Yes, both my checked bags were over the weight limit (50 pounds), but it is what it is. The question remains: HOW THE HECK DO YOU PACK FOR A YEAR?!?! Anyway, the travel really was not that bad - movies, snackies, friends and naps make the time fly by.

Currently, I am sitting in the break room with Colleen (one of my best grade school friends) and Irene (whom I met on the flight from Atlanta to Quito and she is the bee's knees) - the center seems pretty cool at midnight so I cannot wait to see it tomorrow during the day.  A few other volunteers were still up when we arrived with our 8 million and two bags, so that was a nice little surprise :)

How I am feeling at this moment: today was pretty surreal for me...and to be honest, I am still a bit "shell-shocked", if you will, yet I am surprisingly optimistic. And tomorrow is another [busy] day so I will let you all know how it's going and if I have survived my first day of orientation --- and unpacking!

Wish me luck, because this girl is definitely going to need it.

Much love!