A month in Ecuador

As of today, I have been in Ecuador for a month. In a way, it feels like a lot longer. When I got here, I was really nervous because I didn't know what to expect. Now, I feel more at home. I remember on the first day of school, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing or even where I was supposed to do. But I found people to help me which was a relief. I am grateful that people were so willing to help me. I have been going to school for 4 weeks and am starting to get used to the routine and schedule of things. A shocker last week was having to do a lab in Biology and having almost no idea what we were supposed to do. I am even starting to understand more of what the teachers are saying. I am working on writing and speaking in Spanish but it's still hard to listen and understand. It's actually really cool to be completely surrounded by Spanish all the time. I am also learning new words everyday and I try to not speak very much English, even though that doesn't always work because it's hard to communicate clearly not knowing all the words I want to say. I can say most of the things that I need but not all the things I want to say. In the last month, I have made quite a few new friends. It's nice to have people to talk to at school or hang out with on weekends. Some popular things that teenagers like to do are of course shopping, going to movies, or just walking around downtown or hanging out. On the weekends, my family and I enjoy watching movies which is fun. Seeing Alice in Wonderland and Narnia in Spanish was interesting. Best way to learn more Spanish: listening to music, watching tv, or watching movies. Lots of fun. Here's to a wonderful rest of the year!

Chao