My first post...a little late, but my calendar is set to "Caribbean Time" :)

Hola todos! I have successfully made it to the Dominican Republic without losing my credit card and with hardly any plane issues (believe it or not, Grampa), other than a 2 hour delay in the Cincinnati airport. I arrived in Santiago last Sunday (yes...2 weeks ago now...sorry for the delay!), exhausted but so excited to be here.

Since then, the exhaustion has only seemed to continue. I feel like there is so much I want to write about, but it's so hard to not only find time to sit down here and do it but to find it when both the Internet is up and running AND the power is not out on campus... So unfortunately, a short but sweet rundown of the whirlwind that has been my past 2 weeks here in the DR will have to do.

We have been so many places and seen so many different things so far that it's hard to know where to start. Our schedule each day is always so different (not to mention constantly changing) but usually involves a few lectures and a few trips to different places in Santiago. Our lectures have been over tons of different topics...from Dominican History to Spanish language to the Education system to Caribbean Culture, Geology, Geography, Immigration, Sports, Agriculture, and so many more. Just about each one so far has been given by a different professor at the university here, either in English or with a translator to help. We have covered so many things so far that my brain is an absolute mess, but all of the lectures (for the most part) have been really interesting.

When we're not in lecture, we are usually boarding the bus to go off somewhere. We took a trip up into the mountains to learn about their reforsestation projects here, we toured around the campus (ah it is so beautiful!) to learn about their agricultural and animal production, we've been to the city newspaper, a pottery enterprise, a museum, a cigar factory, and so much more. My favorite trips so far have been to the schools we have visited. We've been learning and talking a lot about the education system here so it was so interesting to be able to see it first hand (not to mention a lot of fun playing with all of the kids).

We spent last weekend at a beach in Puerta Plata and it was so nice to be able to relax and finally let everything we had been doing sink in. We had just been so busy that it still wasn't feeling like all of this was real...but it's hard to deny that you're spending your Winter in the Caribbean when you're in a beach chair watching the sun set over the ocean... (Sorry, I couldn't resist bragging just a little).

Well, I hate to leave after only having time to ramble on about boring classes and field trips, but "class" calls. :) Hopefully I will be able to find time soon to fill you all in on the more exciting parts of the trip so far (there have definitely been plenty)! Until then, stay warm! I'll be thinking of you all from my beach chair this weekend... :)



[ ^^ Pictures from around campus...Plenty of more pictures coming, I promise! ^^ ]

Hi everyone! Once again, I haven't been the best at keeping up with this thing...but it's only because I've been too crazy busy trying to cram in all the fun I can in my little time I have left in this amazing place. I got back from the Galapagos Islands on Tuesday night and can't wait to fill everyone in on all of the incredible experiences I had while there, but unfortunately pictures will have to do for now... As much as I'd love to spend all night writing about everything, that wouldn't leave me too much time to celebrate my Birthday. And seeing as the opportunity to spend it in a place as amazing as Quito probably won't come around too often, I figure I should probably take advantage. :)

I kind of took a lot of pictures (actually over twice as many as I even posted), so if it's too annoying to sit through the Slideshow, you can follow the link and it will take you to the site where you can see them all at once. Enjoy them!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to put up a quick post to say everything is still going great. Life has been crazy-busy, between school, volunteering (which I’m just now realizing I have yet to even mention…I promise more on this soon), Lodge business (which officially kicked-off last week!!), and other responsibilities that have been piling up from back home. Luckily I have the laid-back atmosphere of Ecuador to keep me sane, but unfortunately I haven’t been as good as I should about filling you all in on what has been going on here.

I’m off to the Bellavista cloud forest today (actually in 5 minutes) and will be there through the weekend! But when I get back, I promise to get catch you all up on everything.

Loca en Baños y (Casi) Tranquila en la Playa

Sorry for the delay in the updates once again! I’ve been a little busy adventuring through the Rainforest :), which I just got back from today. More details on this absolutely incredible trip later…First I’ve got to catch you up on the past two amazing weekends.

After our tribal adventure in Otavalo, we spent a weekend at Baños, a city famous for its natural hot springs (with water directly from the volcano located in the city), extreme sports, and other tourist attractions. As you probably all know, I’m not exactly what you would call extreme…more just extremely wussy. But when in Rome……..



Yes, that is a picture of me bungee-jumping from a bridge. What was I thinking? I have absolutely no idea.

For those of you who don’t know, I am not the biggest fan of heights. But I also can never seem to resist putting myself in the most terrifying situations that I know I will hate every minute of. Not sure why I do it, but in this case, I couldn’t be happier that I did.

And yes, I did hate it. From the moment I was strapped into my harness my hands were shaking, my stomach was ready to explode, and my mind was racing a mile a minute as I pictured the rope snapping and my body crashing into the rocky creek below. Still, somehow with legs trembling I managed to climb onto the railing, take a deep breath, and throw myself off (of course screaming like a Kress the entire way down). All in all, it was such an incredible experience and something I never would have thought I would be able to do (but am glad I will never have to do again). :)

Beyond trying to terrify myself to death, I was actually able to enjoy myself as well. Cramming as much as we possibly could into the weekend, we spent an entire day mountain biking, hiked to an absolutely breathtaking waterfall, zip-lined across the river, rode horses through the mountains, and of course spent well-deserved time recovering in the amazing hot springs. Over all, it was a perfect mix of running ourselves ragged and kicking back and relaxing.



After surviving another 5 days of class, we were off again…this time to the playa! After a six hour bus ride, we arrived at the Coast in the beach town of Same. Expecting a beach pretty similar to those I had seen in the US (I mean, a beach is a beach, right?), with never-ending lines of chairs and crowds of people covering the shore as far as the eye can see, I was surprised to find that we had the entire beach practically to ourselves. It turns out that Same is a more secluded beach, set apart from the more touristy beaches of the coast. And as a result, even more breathtaking.



We stayed in little cottages located practically on top of the shoreline, with the most spectacular views of the ocean. Every time I walked out on the porch, I was totally blown away by how incredibly beautiful it was, as I’m sure you can imagine looking at the pictures. Not only that, but there’s just something incredible about falling asleep to the sound of the ocean’s crashing waves. Needless to say, I was in heaven and couldn't keep from smiling the entire weekend.

For the first time, we had no activities or side-trips scheduled. Our only plans were to enjoy ourselves, and we certainly did. We spent the entire weekend swimming, body-surfing, taking walks along the shore, and relaxing in the sun. It was an absolutely perfect weekend...

…That is, until the very end, which turned out to be a bit less “tranquilo” than the rest of the weekend had been.

It all started with our last lunch. We went to a restaurant located right on the beach that served amazing seafood. I had been told by almost everyone I had talked to before the trip to not miss out on the Ceviche, a supposedly delicious typical dish in many coastal areas of South America. I decided I should probably give it a try.

Bad call…Turns out my body hates Ceviche and decided to totally punish me for thinking it was okay to eat it. I was absolutely miserable within 20 minutes of eating, of course just in time to board the bus and start the long trek home. Luckily, I managed to only feel more and more awful as the trip went on.

To make things worse, about four hours into the ride the bus came to a sudden stop…and then proceeded to remain stopped for another three hours. The entire road, the only road between the coast and Quito might I add, had completely washed out and no one was able to pass in either direction. Still, all the while, I was feeling closer and closer to death by Ceviche… However, after a couple hours we began moving again very slowly. It wasn’t until after a bit of exciting off-roading that we were finally back on track.

Needless to say, by the time I finally made it back to my house after the miserable nine hour bus ride, I was a bit worse for wear. When my mom met me at the door, excited to hear about the weekend, I had no choice but to run past her, unable to get anything out other than a pathetic “Necesito vomitar…” (I’ll let you figure out the translation), and spent the rest of the night and next day doing just that (Sorry for the graphic details).

Luckily after a rough couple of days I was back to my normal Ceviche-free self…although I don’t think I’ll be giving it another try any time soon. Still, I would go through it ten times over for another amazing beach weekend.

"Siempre Recuerda."

AH, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve last updated you all…or how much has happened since then! Between our adventures through Ecuador (I’ll get to this), being miserably ill (I was waiting to let this slip to my parents until I was better…and yes, mom and dad, I’m finally better), and trying to keep up with my classes (I have since completed Professor Tarea’s final and turned in the last of the tarea he will ever assign me and am already in my second week –halfway through- my new class with my new teacher…who by the way somehow manages to load on even more homework) I haven’t had much time to do anything else. Regardless of my list of excuses, an update is way overdue.

The weekend after we took on Cotapaxi, we had planned a trip to a city called Otavalo. Otavalo is an indigenous town about 3 hours away known for its unbelievable artesian market held every Saturday (actually the largest in all of South America). I was extremely excited about this trip as I had already fallen in love with all of the handicrafts, tapestries, artwork, and jewelry I had seen since I have been here. However I soon found out that the things I would buy at the Otavalo market would end up meaning absolutely nothing to me compared to everything else I was going to be able to experience.

I had assumed, as had everyone else in the group, that we were going to be staying in a hostel or hotel, just like we would be for most of the other trips. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Instead, we were going to be breaking up into groups and staying in indigenous pueblos in the huts of native families. My mouth definitely hit the floor when I found out, and I knew it was going to be an experience unlike any I had ever imagined.



When we arrived in Otavalo, we all split up into our groups and headed to our pueblos. The pueblo I lived in was called Tunibamba and it was love at first sight. Rolling down the dirt roads (in the back of a pick-up truck might I add), we were all speechless as we took in the vivid green fields, beautiful flowers, countless trees, and fresh air, none of which are found in busy bustling Quito.

We were dropped off in groups of three at different huts in different corners of the pueblo where we met our families. However when Sarah, Jenni, and I arrived at our new home, our family was no where to be found. We threw our bags down on our beds and decided to do some exploring. After venturing past the chicken coup, the pen full of “cuy” (guinea pig) –turns out it’s quite the delicacy there–, the giant bird cage, and through the garden, we finally found our mom working away over dirty laundry.

Her name was Digna and she stole my heart right away with her huge smile and even bigger embrace. She was so unbelievably sweet and so welcoming to us. I will never forget the time we spent talking with her over dinner about everything from her favorite food (of course, guinea pig) to everyday life in Tunibamba. We even shared languages, we teaching her some English, her teaching us some Quichua, the native language of the indigenous people of Ecuador. As corny as it may sound, it really felt incredible to be able to come together in that way, both of different native tongues, united by our second language of Spanish. It was such a neat experience.

As if our time with Digna wasn’t amazing enough, the weekend was full of plenty of other fun activities as well. We of course spent some time at the market (fortunately not enough time to do too much damage to my wallet) and were able to visit local shops of artisans and watch as they crafted their beautiful tapestries and carved their intricate wood sculptures. We hiked to a nearby lake, took a boat out on a volcano-formed Laguna, even went to a festival of native music, dancing, and games, all of which they of course wanted the gringos to join in on. We were even lucky enough to attend the wedding reception of the newest Tunibamba Mr. and Mrs. (which, by the way, didn’t lose steam until 8 the next morning).



Out of all that I was able to experience, as always I have to say that the most amazing part was the people I met during my time there. Whether it was over dinner with Digna or while exploring Tunibamba, every single person we encountered had such a way about them, a beauty that was indescribable but that you absolutely could not ignore. I was so moved by the way the people in the village live their lives, and it really made me give the way I live mine some thought as well. Every single brick in each hut, every bite of food they ate, every piece of clothing they wore, was made and shared within Tunibamba. There was just something so incredibly beautiful to me in the community they shared with each other.

On our last morning as we were packing to leave, Digna came into our room to say goodbye. We all sat down to wait for the truck that was going to pick us up when she pulled three bracelets she had made from her pocket. She put one on each of our wrists, asking that we always wear them and always remember.



I will never forget Digna and my time in Tunibamba, and every time I look at my wrist I feel so lucky to have shared in their community, even if only for 3 incredible days.

En la Cumbre del Mundo

After going out with mi familia on Friday, I was so excited to write all about it…but then Saturday happened and with it even more I can't wait to share, so a few words and lots of pictures from the night will have to do.



After dinner, my family told me they were taking me to a part of Quito known as “Old Town,” or Centro Historico. I wasn’t exactly sure what we were going to be doing there, but I was pretty excited, and even more so when I realized how we were going to get there...

I followed everyone outside and waited for Regalo (NOT Rodrigo) to back the car (or what I expected would be a car) down the driveway…only to be awesomely surprised when he rolled out in a SCHOOL BUS!...a giant bright yellow real life school bus. Turns out my madre is a bus driver and is totally down with taking it out on the town. I thought it was awesome and couldn’t wait to take on Quito, school-bus style.

Once we got to Old Town (after Galo parallel-parked the bus of course), we headed to the main plaza where there was going to be live Ecuadorian music and indigenous dancing. The whole plaza was packed with people, but we somehow managed to find seats in the very front row! I had such a blast watching the musicians totally rock out and the dancers fly all around the dance floor.

After the show, I was so so happy and couldn’t stop smiling, but things only got better from there. After walking around for a bit, they took me on a carriage ride through the entire town! We got to see absolutely everythinggg and it was so much fun. The whole night was just amazing…

…But still, absolutely nothing compared to Saturday.

After waking up at 5 AM, I headed to my school, completely exhausted but too excited to care. I had been looking forward to the day since I had gotten here, as we had planned a trip to Cotapaxi, one of the tallest active volcanoes in the world.

After a 2 hour bus ride, we reached the bottom of the volcano. One hour later, the bus had taken us as far as it could go and we got off to hike the rest of the way. We finally reached the landing where there were bikes lined up and waiting for us. We were going to mountain-bike the entire way down!


The ride was hands-down the most difficult thing I have ever done and definitely something I never would have thought I would be able to accomplish, especially with my biking experience beginning and ending with Lodge Cruisers. The trail was like nothing I had ever seen before, let alone expected I would ever try to tackle on a bike. Between the insane incline (you definitely couldn’t let off the brake even for a second), the deep gullies running constantly throughout the rocky path, and the freezing cold rain pouring down all the while, the three-hour ride couldn’t have been a more exhausting (or exhilarating) experience.

I can’t even begin to explain the feeling I had when I finally reached the bottom and looked up to the very top, barely visible in the clouds, where I had first begun. But sweaty, exhausted, and feeling smaller than ever, all that I had put into conquering the volcano that now loomed so high above me rushed through me in a way I will certainly never forget.

¿Quién es Galo?

Before I write anything else, I have something to fess up to. I feel awful having to admit this, but I have recently realized that Rodrigo’s (my padre's) name might not really be Rodrigo? Not in a creepy Hollywood-thriller “dun, dun, dun” sort of way. But still a bit of a nightmare nonetheless. I’ll explain…

It started about a week ago when my madre kept talking to me about this man named “Galo” during dinner. I was a little confused as to why but thought he was just some friend of the family whose life story she thought I might want to know absolutely everything about. Plus, he seemed like a pretty interesting guy so I didn’t mind at all.

Then the other day she was telling me about how she was glad Galo was coming for dinner. I was so excited that I was actually going to get to meet this mysterious Galo guy after hearing so much about him.

That night, I headed downstairs around dinner-time to see if I could help out at all. Aware of my cooking skills (or lack of cooking skills), my madre and sisters just asked me to stay and chat as usual, which I was happy to do because Rodrigo had showed up and it was fun to catch up with him as he hadn’t been around all week. All the while, I was wondering when the guest of honor was going to arrive.

Dinner-time came, but “Galo” never did. Or at least I thought he hadn’t until my sister Sandi asked someone named ReGALO to pass the ensalada. I watched in horror, as confusion turned to shock, then to a lot of embarrassment, while “Rodrigo” passed the salad down the table. Moral of the story: I am a terrible hija.

Luckily, I don’t think I’ve actually ever called him by name (or by what I thought was his name) to his face, but who knows! Goodness gracious. I guess it just goes to show how confused I spend most of my days here immersed/lost in Spanish pretty much 24/7. Who knows what else I have misunderstood so far…

On a more exciting note, my family is taking me somewhere tonight. I’m not exactly sure where, and even if I thought I was sure I don’t think I would trust myself (or that you would believe me either). But I’ll be sure to let you know after the fact… :)

¿¡Hay Más Para Subir?! y Más y Más y Más.....

Enough about classes, school, tests, and all of that boring (but okay, maybe important and kind of the reason I am here) stuff! Believe it or not, even with a teacher who goes by “Professor Homework” I do get to do more than just study my Quito-life away. A lot more!

I have had so many great experiences so far during my short time here. There is so much that I absolutely need to do and see that I have no idea how I am going to fit it all in! But I must say, things are off to a pretty good start.

This past weekend was full of making plans, breaking plans, and loving where the new ones led. Saturday was our first full free day in Quito, and of course we were not about to let it go to waste. We had all sorts of great ideas about what we wanted to do…

And then it rained. And rained and rained. The rain fell all day long, and with it our plans fell through as well.

Still, we decided we couldn’t let the rain stop us from taking full advantage of our first weekend here. Plan B: visit the nearby markets (covered of course) where we could check out the work of the local artisans. I had way too much fun looking at all of the jewelry and other crafts. I have decided that I must have been Ecuadorian in a past life, as every piece of jewelry I saw seemed to be made just for me. I would’ve bought out the entire market if I could have but decided to hold off on buying anything, let alone everything, until next time at least.

Sunday a bunch of the people from my program decided to head to the park and play some soccer, banking on the weather cutting us a break…which it did! The other people in the park however did not. The park we went to is called el parque Carolina and is absolutely ginormous! But somehow not ginormous enough to fit all of the people who wanted to play soccer. Every inch of the park seemed to be taken up with a soccer game, and there were at least 50 going on at once, probably more. A little bummed at our luck, we decided the day was too beautiful to waste and found an empty basketball court. After watching a little basketball, a couple of my friends and I decided to check out la Basilica.

La Basilica is the largest church in all of Ecuador, and we had heard it’s definitely something you have got to see while you are here. The church was absolutely beautiful from the outside and none of us could resist taking way too many pictures. I was already more than satisfied when I found out that you could not only go inside, but could also climb all the way up the huge towers for only 2 bucks! I was excited, but had no idea what was ahead of us.

The staircase leading up the first tower was definitely not what I expected. The staircase was small, dark, cramped, and dirty. It was so bizarre to think that it could possibly be inside of the overwhelmingly beautiful and intricate building I had just awed over. Still, we climbed excitedly for what seemed like forever until we reached the next level. There were a number of levels that you could stop at along the way where you could take pictures both inside and of the view of Quito outside.

With the first two levels reached by stairs, we were then led across a wood-plank bridge to a ladder-like staircase that definitely would not have flown in the US. It was at this point that I realized the climb wasn’t going to be quite as easy as I had expected.

With each level, reaching the next got more and more difficult and it felt like we were constantly being tested on just how far we were willing to go to get to the top. Each time, the ladder got steeper, the rungs further apart, and my heartbeat faster. Not to mention most of these ladders were outside as well, circling around the tower. I wish there was a way to describe it all that would truly get across just how terrifying it was. Had my hands not been shaking too much to do anything but keep putting one foot in front of the other, I would’ve taken pictures, but not a chance. There are a few in the pictures I posted, none of course that do it justice, so you will just have to take my word for it.

Anyways, against my better judgement and despite the Basilica’s apparent wish to keep anyone from making it to the end, I reached the top (which by the way didn’t even have a real floor to reward you with…only a grated metal covering that was anything but reassuring). Beyond that, I even crawled out onto one of the ledges (too terrified to even breathe at this point of course) to take some pictures (okay, maybe just one picture) before scrambling back inside. Overall, it was an awesome experience with some incredible pictures to be taken too and I’m so glad that I was able to do it.

Los Autobuses, la Escuela, y Mucho Tráfico! (Oh my?!)

Hola!

I can’t believe a week has gone by since my last post… Things here have been so so busy, and it’s nice to finally have a break to look back and share it with you all.

Last Monday was our first day of classes. I had to get up at 6 (yes, as in A.M.), as Rodrigo was going to take me to catch the bus by 7. Luckily my stop is only one street away, but the ride takes at least 30 minutes, often closer to 45 depending on traffic. Even though it’s one of the longest bus rides of everyone in the program, I have kind of started to enjoy the long ride (prime place for people watching as well as last-minute cramming). It can get pretty crowded at times and if I’m stuck standing (or constantly trying to keep myself from falling over) while the bus bounces through the roads and around sharp turns, it can makes things even more interesting.

Speaking of roads, traffic here is NUTS. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before (well, other than in Kenya…but Matatus are certainly in a league of their own). I’m not sure what their road laws are (if any), but they are certainly not enforced and so drivers are absolutely ridiculous. Friday I was waiting to catch a bus and I watched in horror as one of the workers from the bus jumped out to direct the driver through a stopped-up intersection (as all intersections seem to constantly be here, especially during rush hour). He was running through traffic, waving his hands, paying no attention to the oncoming traffic, which was paying no attention to him either, and he got hit straight-on by a car. He somehow landed on his feet, stood there for a second, obviously a little dazed, and jumped right back on the bus he had successfully gotten through the intersection and they went on their way. No one else paused for even a moment either. Except for me who stood there with my mouth gaping open. All I know is, I could never imagine driving like the people here. Or with them for that matter.

Anyways, as I was saying Rodrigo took me on the bus (and home) my first three days of class until I got the hang of doing it on my own...or thought I had the hang of it at least, as today was the very first time I actually got off at the correct stop by myself. Not that my lack of bus-taking skills would surprise any of you… Luckily, there are other people from my program who are often on the same bus and who have picked up on this as well, so they try to help me out.

School is still school, even in a country as awesome as Ecuador, although my classes are set up a little differently than they would be at OSU. We only take one class at a time (rather than 3 or 4) and they cram each class into 3 weeks (as opposed to the usual 10). It’s nice to only have to focus on one class, but at the same time it is insane how quickly we move through everything. We’re already almost halfway through our textbook and I’ve only had 6 days of class! We had our first midterm on Friday and will have a midterm (or final) every week from here on out. I’ve been learning a lot, but it has been a lot of work as well. Apparently they are actually expecting us to study while we’re “studying" abroad? Who would’ve thunk it?!

I think the best (or at times the worst) part of the classes here is that there are only 6 people in each one, so we are constantly forced to participate - not to mention stay awake. My teacher is AWESOME. He is this little tiny Ecuadorian man named Mario (or Profesor Tarea –“professor homework” – as he calls himself) and he is absolutely hilarious. Despite the stress of trying to cram in all of the information each day, he still finds time to make things fun and keep us laughing.

Well, that’s all I have time for now. Hopefully I’ll be able to get back on here later tonight or tomorrow and talk more about everything. I have pictures too, so cross your fingers for me and maybe they will finish loading one of these days.

Demasiados nombres!!

I really can’t believe I have only spent 2 full days in Quito. Between all of the people I have been meeting, all of the new things I have seen, and trying to adjust to life in Ecuador, I feel like I have been going nonstop, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I have absolutely loved every second of it.

Yesterday was my first full day here and to be honest, I was a little nervous when I woke up. I had no idea how things worked…whether I should get up early or sleep in…and then once I was up I had no idea what I was supposed to do from there. I debated hiding out in my room until someone came to get me but decided instead to explore the house and see if anyone else was up and just kind of go from there.

Luckily, I walked downstairs to find coffee and muchas frutas waiting for me. My madre was the only one up so far and it was nice to get to talk to her, as we didn’t have much of a chance to my first night here. She is so sweet and I feel so lucky to have such a great family to live with while I’m here.

From there I went for a run, of course keeping in mind all of the “safety suggestions” stressed by my dad (don’t worry, I was extremely careful). Unfortunately, we live on a ridiculous incline like nothing I’ve ever seen in little old Ohio, so battling hills on top of the high altitude, I was absolutely dominated. Still, it was worth it to be able to explore more of my neighborhood and just enjoy the warm sun and beautiful landscape.

No matter how many times I look out of my window, I still can’t get over how beautiful it is here. From the tall buildings of the city in one direction to the overwhelming view of the mountains looming over it all, it is absolutely incredible. Hopefully I will be able to put some pictures up soon.

Yesterday, I also was able to meet more of my family. It turns out that I do in fact have another sister (and brother-in-law and little nephew as well)! Unfortunately, I’m not off to a great sisterly start as I have absolutely no idea what any of their names are… I know that probably sounds awful, but they speak so quickly! Hopefully I’ll find out before too long… And hopefully I don't have any more family members out there, as I'm not sure how many more names I'll be able to keep track of.

I also met my madre’s boyfriend, Rodrigo. Rodrigo is awesome. He is so sweet and has such a peaceful Ecuadorian way about him. Plus, for whatever reason I understand almost everything he says. We talked about music (which he absolutely loves) and swapped tons of stories. It was so nice to actually be able to hold a conversation for once rather than “Sí”-ing and smiling my way out of things. Needless to say, Rodrigo rocks.

On that note, this chica is going to bed. I hope all is well in los Estados Unidos! I’ll try and send some sunshine Ohio’s way. :)

so far so AWESOME

HOLA from Ecuador!!!

I made it...and have no treacherous airport horror story to share. My layover involved NO frantic bus rides lost in London; I didn't lose my credit card; I didn't have to set up camp in the freezing cold airport all alone; I didn't even have to desperately beg my way onto the flight. All in all, I'd say things went a little better than last year's debacle. Thank goodness. :)

I got in earlier tonight and was greeted at the airport by 2 of my new sisters, Janeth and Sandra. They're both about my age (29 and 22) and made me feel totally comfortable right away. We took the taxi to the house (seriously less than 10 blocks away) where they introduced me to the rest of my new Ecuadorian family.

I was surprised by how incredibly nervous I was when I first stepped in the door, but it didn't last more than 2 seconds as I walked in and was immediately welcomed by my mom's big bright smile and outstretched arms. From then, I knew I had absolutely no reason to worry. Things only got better when I heard the most adorable giggle from under the table behind her and saw the cute little face of my little 3 year old nephew Marco Antonio peeking out. It took some coercing to get him to come out from his hiding spot, and even more to get him to talk, but now that he's warmed up to me I can’t get him to stop and I’m in love already. I met his father (my brother) Ricardo and his wife Leslee as well. I think they said there is another sister, but I have yet to see her and based on my Spanish skills I could very possibly be wrong.

From there, they showed me around the house and brought me to my new room where I dropped my huge bags that by then felt like they couldn't possibly weigh more. I unpacked and did my best to chat with Janeth and Sandra. I definitely gave a lot of blank stares, dished out plenty of awkward silences, and probably made even less sense to them than they did to me when I actually was able to try and say something. Even though I was totally stressed the entire time, trying to translate what they were saying, coming up with a response, and then trying to figure out how to say it in Spanish, they were so patient and understanding with me no matter how much I struggled. Luckily we could fall back on laughter. And there was plenty of that.

Well, I’m off to bed to try and get some sleep, which may be a little more difficult than usual as my mind is going a mile a minute right now. I’m too excited for tomorrow…I’m not sure what to expect, but I couldn’t have a greater feeling about whatever it is.

One last post...

Okay...so a lot of people have been asking when I'm going to finish this thing up.  And to be honest, life has been really crazy and I never seem to have time to do, well, anything.  So I've decided to write one last post with a couple highlights and the rest of my pictures.

Just about every person I've talked to since I've been back has asked me what the best part of my trip was. And hands down, it was all of the kids I met. I know I've said it, but not enough...the kids were absolutely amazing. Just hearing them laugh and seeing them play together like any other kids would...I don't know. After hearing about what some have them had been through, even the smallest smile was so incredible to me. Throughout my time there, I learned each of their stories. And with every story I heard I found myself even more overwhelmed and inspired by how beautiful each child was.  I wish I had time to tell you about each one of them, but unfortunately pictures will have to do.





Beyond the kids, there were of course so many other amazing things I was able to experience that I also will never forget. I got to spend Christmas Eve at another nearby orphanage (with almost 200 children) and had a ball playing with the children all day, finding myself amazed when something as simple as new shoes for each of them was all they needed for Christmas to put the biggest smiles on their faces. I even got to play basketball (or more like get my **tusch kicked --haha happy grampa? -- trying to play basketball) against some local people, and although I pretty much made a fool of myself, I felt too excited that they had actually wanted me to join them to care (not to mention, I did make a basket :)). I got to see the countryside and how thanks to the generosity of many and the work of Father John, people’s lives are being changed by access to clean water, something I of course have always taken for granted. I got to go to church and sing and dance in the aisles with everyone, leaving feeling like for once no one cared that I was white or “mazungo,” we were just there to pray (and party). As scary or inconvenient as it may have been, I got to be there to see the post-election trouble first-hand, and more importantly see how it affected those trying to go on with their lives despite it. Most unforgettably, I got to visit a slum where I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of suffering and destitution, but even more so by the bright smiles and the amazing resilience of the people, as they faced the struggles of each day and found happiness despite the adversity. But most importantly of all, I got to spend three weeks far outside of my comfort zone and everything I knew, and got to meet amazing people, every single one of whom opened my eyes to something else I had never thought of and a way of life I otherwise never would have really understood.

I can’t even begin to say how lucky I feel to have had this opportunity. Looking back on it all, I don’t think I could have possibly had a better experience. I know that this amazing opportunity would not have been possible without the help of so many people, and for that I am so grateful – to everyone I met there, everyone who helped me get there (yes, I guess that would include the Heathrow airport), and especially to everyone back home who supported me through all of this (and even worried themselves sick…). It has really made me realize how lucky I am to have so many amazing people in my life, even those who were only there for three weeks.

As I finish, I wish I could explain how much this trip meant to me. But all I can say is that it has truly changed my life. The way that I see certain things, the way that I think about my life, it really will never be the same. And for that, I feel so blessed.



Oh, and for the many who have joked “where to next?”…unfortunately for my parents’ sanity, I’m headed out again in March -- El Salvador, here I come! (Followed by an eventual trip back to Kenya of course. :) )

 

Life at the Orphanage

As weird as I feel writing these entries such a long time after I experienced all this, I've been overwhelmed by people asking me to keep writing about everything. So for the few of you who may still be reading this, I'll try to get through everything in the next week or so.

The day after the wedding was my first day at the orphanage. As bummed as I was to be moving out of the hostel and away from Ian and his family, Esther, and Becki and Lara, I was SOOO excited to get there and get started.

We drove to the orphanage first thing in the morning. We were greeted by an extremely energetic woman. It wasn't until 15 minutes of talking with her that I realized she was actually Jane. This is going to sound ridiculous, but for some reason from reading the information Jane had sent me before my trip about the orphanage, I was under the impression that she was Swedish (I know, that sounds crazy...but I did). Well, it turned out Jane was very much Kenyan and very much not Swedish. And most importantly a lot of fun.

She took me upstairs to introduce me to all of the kids, but they were all sleeping (yes, all 12 at the same time!). There were 7 all lined up on the bed and the rest scattered around the room. They all seemed so sweet and perfect. I remember thinking it was going to end up being a lot easier than I had thought. But it wasn't long after they had all woken up I realized they had had me way fooled. :)

Luckily, before they woke up I had time to unpack, get settled and meet the other two volunteers (Ngozi and Kate) who were also staying there, as well as the 3 women who worked there full-time (Janet, Irene, and Faith). They all kind of filled me in on how things work there and showed me around the rest of the orphanage.

The orphanage was actually Jane and her family's home. There was one very large room upstairs where the kids spent almost all of the day, except when they were playing outside. They slept there, ate there, played there, did EVERYTHING there. That meant we were in there all the time as well. I expected to go kind of crazy being couped up in the same room all day every day, but that wasn't the case at all. I soon learned I wouldn't have time to go crazy. From the moment naptime was over until it was time for them to go to bed for the night, we didn't stop once. There was always a diaper to change, a mouth to feed, someone crying, and someone wanting to play with you all at the same time. It was always hectic but I was ALWAYS loving it! :)

I expected things might calm down a bit once I had gotten the hang of things, but I was definitely wrong as every day that followed was crazier than the one before. Generally, each day went pretty much the same. We woke up each morning by about 7 to an alarm clock of crying babies. And were always welcomed by the same smell of more diapers than should ever be closed in the same room. We usually spent a couple hours taking care of that and then bathing all 12 (4 or 5 at a time) and getting them dressed for the day. After that it was time to feed them. Believe it or not, feeding time was harder than any bathing or diaper changing we had to do. It was really a struggle to get a lot of them to eat, especially those that hadn't been at the orphanage for that long, as their diets before hadn't been much, if anything at all. On top of that, we each always had 2 or 3 to feed at once. Needless to say, feeding times were generally the most stressful part of the day. However the most rewarding too. It probably sounds kind of odd, but I always felt so great (even proud) whenever I got one of the kids to finish all of their food.

After the morning routine, with the kids clean, full, and happy, we were able to break for a quick breakfast. After that, we would spend the rest of the day having fun and playing games with the kids, with the occasional feedings and diaper changings of course.  As much fun as it sounds (and actually was) it was also a lot of work.  There were days (actually, most days) when we would be so busy that it would be 10 at night before we realized we hadn't even stopped for dinner. As stressful as it might sound, every second of it was still a blast. Okay, maybe there were a few seconds in there with some unpleasant diapers (sorry...too much information? :) ) but other than that I just played all day long! So even though I was exhausted by the end of every day (and somehow just as exhausted each morning) I was always having way too much fun to care.

Well that's all I have time for right now... I promise more pictures and more about the kids next time.

The Wedding...and PICTURES!!

Alright, so I really have no idea where to start with all of this, so I guess where I left off would probably be best.



Above are some pictures of Ian, Edith, and around Thome, the town I stayed in. As I said before Ian and his family were very nice and I feel so lucky to have met them. There are also pictures of Lara and Becki, the other two girls who stayed at the hostel with me. We got along great and had so much fun together during the week we were there. Becki was 24 and from Sydney, Australia. She came to volunteer for an AIDS education program for 4 weeks. Once she's done, she's headed to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro then to Zanzibar then back to Nairobi for one last week (how awesome is that). She has been to so many different places so it was always interesting to hear her talk about everything she has experienced. Lara was 21 and also very nice. She was Canadian and said "Eh" so much that I thought she had to be kidding. She wasn't. She came to work at another orphanage and school with older kids.

Anyways, during our first week there Edith gave the three of us Kiswahili lessons in the morning and then spent the rest of the day taking us EVERYWHERE! The thing I enjoyed the most was definitely when we went to the wedding. It was similar to typical American weddings in that there was the white dress, bridesmaids, vows, etc. However the main service was only about 30 minutes, followed by an hour of speeches, songs, and dances for the bride and groom by family and friends

After the ceremony, the reception was held in the yard of a school. There was food and of course more speeches and dancing. It was so much fun. Although the best part of it all was the people we met there. I was blown away by how nice everyone was to us. Everyone we talked to was so eager to welcome us and hear about what we thought of their country so far.

As much as I liked talking with people, hanging out with all of the kids there was even more fun. The first three kids we met were James, Frederick, and Patrick, three 7 year-old troublemakers. They were just adorable. They spent the first half of the service eyeing us from across the church and smiling and the rest of the time moving closer and closer until they were sitting in the pew in front of us. At first they ducked behind the pew to hide and peeked up whenever they thought we wouldn't notice then giggled when we did, of course making us laugh as well.

After the ceremony, we were bombarded by many more kids. At first, they all would just kind of stare at us and whisper with each other. Within a few minutes however they would get a lot less shy. They would chant "Mazungu! Mazungu!" (which is the Kiswahili term for "white people") and would run up and shake our hands. At times, there were up to 20 kids around us, all trying to touch us and play with our hair. It was really an odd experience and as much fun as it was, we were relieved when they got over our "whiteness." We spent the rest of the time dancing with them and playing tag and other games.

Before we knew it, it was already night and time to say goodbye to our friends and pile into the car (a tight squeeze with 8 of us trying to cram in). We left with the entire crowd of kids chasing after the car laughing and waving goodbye. I will never forget them and their smiling faces as we drove away. From dancing with everyone at the ceremony, to realizing what it was like to be a Mazungu, to hours of laughing with some of the sweetest kids I've ever met, it was an amazing day that I will always remember.

HOME SWEET HOME!

I MADE IT!  Thanks to everyone who was thinking about me.  I've been so overwhelmed by how worried everyone has been.  I had no idea!  Thanks for all your thoughts while I was away.

The trip back was long and of course not without excitement.  It was so hard to leave the orphanage, especially since the kids were all still asleep and as much as I was dying to see them one last time I couldn't.  Although seeing them probably would have made it harder, so maybe it was for the best.

I left early enough in the morning that we didn't run into any riot-trouble on the way to the airport.  Although that's not to say there wasn't any trouble.  I got totally ripped off by the taxi driver and ended up leaving all of my Kenyan shillings (as well as a piece of my mind) with the driver, but I guess that's not the worst that could've happened.  Plus those extra shillings wouldn't do me much good now.  Not to mention, it makes for a good story.

My flight out of Nairobi was hilarious.  Between the little girl in front of me who whined loudly and continuously throughout the flight (she was adorable enough that it didn't bother me too much) and the crazy man to my right who mumbled under his breath about the girl the entire time until finally standing up and exploding on the mother AND the angry (and intoxicated) man behind me who yelled at every stewardess (and I mean every) that walked by about how terrible they were and how they ought to walk right out of the plane, it was definitely entertaining.

I don't think I took a single breath in the London airport until I was sitting at the gate.  I don't think my parents did either.  But I made it.  Not only that, but they upgraded me to "Premium" (not quite first class, but it might as well have been!).  I had a huge leather chair and could stretch my feet as far as I could go and still had room.  Basically, I was loving life the whole way.

From there I stopped in New York for the night although almost without a hotel room as apparently they didn't have a room reserved for me until May(?), but after some begging it all worked out.  After a couple hours of sleep and a short flight I was back in Cincinnati.  But of course with no luggage.  But I was so glad to be back and safe and was exhausted enough that it didn't matter too much.  Luckily they found my luggage and delivered it this afternoon, so it's all good.

I ended up blowing off classes on Friday after realizing what a horrible idea it was to think I would be up for doing anything but sleeping.  I head back tomorrow with Sam who is planning on staying a couple nights so he can watch the big game on Monday!  (O-H....!)

Well it's late and while I have so much more to write, it's going to be put off again until tomorrow.  But I promise, a ton of fun stories (and pictures) will be coming soon!

Before I go, I just wanted to thank EVERYONE who supported me (and more importantly supported my parents) through all of this.  It meant so much to know so many people back home were thinking about me!  I really feel so lucky.  I can't thank you all enough!  :)

stuck in london AGAIN!

...just kidding. :) wouldn't that be just terrible though?

i just thought i'd write a quick note to let everyone know i am safely out of kenya and back in the States. i'm staying at a hotel in new york overnight (i have an actual bed...and a TV? and no mosquito net to fall down on me in the middle of the night. whats up with that?!)

i'll be in cinci by 8:30 tomorrow morning and head straight from the airport to cbus for classes (how awful). but then i'm coming back to cincinnati for the weekend to catch up on sleep and OF COURSE more importantly catch up with the fam.

well, seeing as my wakeup call is in 3 hours i should probably get to bed! hopefully i can finally fill everyone in on everything in the next couple of days!

ps - i miss kenya terribly

election news!! (sorry it's long...and maybe even boring to you)

oh my goodness i can't even believe i made it to a computer. finally. as much as i am DYING to talk about all of the amazing things i've done the past week and a half, i feel like most of you may be more intersted (or concerned) about what is going on now. the fun stories will have to wait until next time.

i have no idea if it's made national news and if it has how much has been covered, but things are a bit crazy around here. way more than a bit. the presidential elections were held on the 27th and it was pretty intense. two of the main candidates (Raila and Kibaki) had the country really divided and even before the voting began there was a lot of tension. it was so interesting to be here to see all of that firsthand. even the family i am staying with (the directors of the orphanage) was divided, as the mom and three daughters strongly supported Kibaki and the father (who i actually still haven't met as he had been in Western Kenya campaigning for Raila and is now stuck there until things calm down) and the son were very passionate about Raila.

anyways, as predicted the race was very tight, but Raila had seemed to be holding a steady lead throughout as the results were coming in. all of the Kibaki supporters i talked to were very disappointed (some even terrified for their country) but no one was angry or violent or any of that. they had all kind of come to accept that they had lost and Raila would be the next President. however the third day or so, the results began to swing the other way in Kibaki's favor and trouble began. even though Raila was still leading, his supporters started to get very nervous and as a result began to cause a lot of trouble.

for those who don't know, there are 42 (i think?) tribes in Kenya. and all of them are very proud to be a part of the group that they are in. as a result, it is not uncommon for their to be some tension between tribes. and in this case, it really made thigns get dangerous. the Kikuyu tribe is the largest and is the tribe that Kibaki is a part of. as a result, most Kikuyos backed him. Raila however is part of the Luau tribe (sorry about these spellings...) and so of course the Luau people strongly backed him. unfortunately, the Luau people are known to be a little more violent than most. so not many were surprised when things quickly escalated as the votes began to turn in Kibakis favor.

there was a period of one or two days when people had to wait for the votes to be counted in the last couple provinces that would determine the election's outcome, so of course during this time as people waited anxiously, things only got worse. there were shootings and cars being set on fire in the streets, people throwing large rocks (or pretty much anything they could get their hands on) not really caring who they hit, and basically just total chaos. it was actually really frightening. many people have been killed and so many more severely injured. i still have a hard time believing it happened (and is still happening). even in the areas that werent quite as bad, there was still a lot of tension. so much so that even i, who (to my parents' worries especially in situations like this) generally never thinks that i am ever in any danger, was pretty nervous.

when the final results came out, things somehow managed to get worse, as Kibaki was declared the winner by a very small number of votes. people just went nuts. riots got so dangerous that the government forbid the news from airing any more live coverage, as they didnt want to add to the chaos with panic by everyone else. as frightening as it may have been to watch the coverage, it was almost more reassuring to me when i could see it and know where things were happening. before, the news was on 24/7 in the house, but since coverage was restricted, i haven't seen the news on more than once. it's just so weird to think that all of this is happening and people in their homes aren't really sure of exactly what might be going on.

not only is the fighting dangerous, but it really makes life difficult for everyone in the country. all stores and markets have been shut down (as any stores open during the riots were looted). without a way to get food or other items they might need, people are really struggling. yesterday, Jane (the director of the orphanage) travelled hours to the only market that was opened and she said the line was out of the door with people waiting to get in.

i've heard that today things have gotten a bit calmer, which is good. however, tomorrow Raila plans to hold a rally in downtown Nairobi, so things are bound to get bad again. fortunately (and unfortunately) my flight leaves tomorrow. i will get out before the rally begins, but i'm a little worried that things might be a little more difficult than they would be otherwise (don't worry mom and dad, i will be fine). because of that, i'm leaving for the airport by 5 AM tomorrow (5 hours before my flight) just to make sure i get there. i'm positive that's a little excessive, but i'm not going to take any chances seeing as if there's one place i'd hate to be stuck at MORE than the London airport right now, it would be in Nairobi.

it's weird to look back on all of the experiences i had before all of this craziness started. from the first day i was here, i was so overwhelmed by the people here. everyone i met was so friendly and welcoming and it was so apparent that they were very proud of their country and wanted me to see that and leave loving it just as much. now, with all this going on, it kind of seems unreal. after being welcomed with such kindness and developing such a great admiration for the genuiness of people here, it seems surreal to be leaving the country in the state that it's in. every Kenyan person i met had such a peaceful way about them. so the fact that there is such hatred and violence going on right now is really hard for me to believe. i really hope that the problems can be resolved quickly so that the division that has been created can be overcome and life can get back to normal for the people here.

well, that's all i have time for today. i'm hoping to get to a computer in new york (or maybe even in the Nairobi airport as i will hopefully have a ton of time to kill before my flight). i hope everyone had a great christmas! i can't wait to see/talk to you all soon.

don't worry...i'm still alive :)

hey everyone! sorry i haven't been able to write in so long...things have been really crazy. actually, they still are. i only have a minute, but i thought i'd let everyone know things are still going great! really great. i'm at father john's right now (i'm with him for the weekend...an amazing vacation away from 24/7 babies - even though i love it). i should be able to get to a computer on sunday or monday and fill everyone in on what has been going on (SOOO much since last time i wrote). i hope everyone had a great christmas!!!!

I wish I had more time!!!

Hey again! I'm back! And I have money. Phew! (Mom and Dad, you can now breathe easy....or easier i guess :) )

Things are still going great! I actually had my last lesson with Edith today. I can't believe how much i've learned in just these few days. It's a lot more fun to be in the city and actually be able to understand what people are saying. And even more fun when I can surprise them and actually respond back with Kiswahili!

Nairobi is such a cool city. Downtown is a lot different than I had expected it to be. It's actually a lot like the big cities in America (only a lot of street vendors and a LOT more people). We came into town to exchange some money and to buy a SIM card to put in my phone so that I could keep in touch with Edith and Pastor Ian and the other girls I'm staying with this week once we all leave for our different projects on Sunday.

Tonight we're cooking dinner for everyone (Laura, Becky, and I). I'm not sure how it's going to go, seeing as we still havent decided what we're making...not to mention i'm not the greatest of cooks But it will be fun. There is a woman who lives at the house named Esther who usually cooks for us. She is one of the sweetest most kind-hearted people I have ever met. Just so gentle-natured and always smiling. She told us that in exchange for us cooking dinner, she would teach us how to cook some of the meals she has made. Hopefully she doesn't decide to take that back once she tastes what we end up throwing together. :)

Tomorrow we are going to spend the day visiting different places (parks, bomas - I'll explain this more later, and other fun places). I'm really excited. We also found out today that on Saturday we will be going to the wedding of one of Edith's friends. I really can't wait! And feel so lucky that we will get to experience that.

Well that's all the time I have for now! I still haven't talked about the Matatu (for those who have no idea what the heck this Matatu thing is I keep mentioning, it's kind of like a bus...only not at all)...fortunately the story will be even more exciting as on our way here today, our Matatu broke down! Hopefully something else will happen on the way home and I'll hae even more to share. :)

Kwaheri! :)

Far Away from London...Finally!!!

Hey everyone! So I finally made it to Nairobi. While there is quite the dramatic story I could tell, my time is pretty limited as I am in a Cybercafe in the city with only 50 shillings to my name (it's a Kenyan holiday - they have those when it can make things more difficult for me it seems - so I haven't been able to exchange any money). I'm watching the time tick away and the money I owe add up, so I'll have to make this quick.

I just wanted to let everyone know that I made it in one piece. Like i said, London was pretty much just terrible. However, I'm sure that when I look back on this trip, my troubles in London will be the last thing I remember. In a way, I'm kind of glad I went through it all. No matter how miserable my 36+ hours there may have ended up being, all I know is that once I finally held my plane ticket to Nairobi in my hand, I couldn't have possibly felt greater feelings of excitement, relief, and complete happiness. (Even if I could only feel those feelings for a second, as I was instructed to sprint to security and through the huge Heathrow airport to find my gate with only 35 minutes to takeoff and 5 minutes from when the gate would close...) But all that matters is I made it! It wasn't until I sat down in my seat that it finally sunk in that I was actually going to Kenya. After months of planning and years of dreaming, it was finally real. I took a deep breath (the first good one since I had been in London :) ) and smiled the biggest smile I ever have.

The flight was awesome. I ended up sitting between 2 guys from Nairobi whose band had actually just been named "The Most Talented Band in the World" by the BBC network. They were so much fun. I hooked them up with some Tabloid magazines and they hooked me up with some great information and a lot of Swahili (including telling me NOT to say 'Jambo' unless I wanted to look like a total tourist - as if my appearance doesnt give that away already...). They were so friendly and really gave me a good feeling about where I was headed. When they heard what I was going there to do, they were so encouraging. I wish I had written down some of things they had said about the beauty of the people in Kenya, but everything they shared made me more excited to get there and even more confident about my choice to do this. I really feel so lucky to have met them. The flight flew by and was over before I knew it. However not before I got to see the sunrise. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I wish I could explain it, but nothing I could say would ever do it justice. The horizon began with the brightest orange and faded to a deep deep purple. It was amazing.

Anyways, enough about London and the flight. I'm sure you'll all be happy (and some maybe even surprised) to know that Pastor Ian actually does exist! And he actually showed up at the airport to get me. Not only does he exist, but he is truly amazing. He has the biggest smile I have ever seen. He was very friendly and I felt welcomed and comfortable immediately. I found at that I am actually staying at a hostel that he runs with his family for my week of orientation. His family is just as amazing as he is. His wife, Edith, teaches us classes and is so sweet. And they have 3 children, all of which are just beautiful. I really feel comfortable there and completely safe. There are 2 other girls with me at the hostel right now, Laura and Becky. They are also very nice and it has been fun going through all ofthis with them. I have learned so much in the past 2 days from Edith. Yesterday I had to have a double session to catch up with the other girls since I missed the first day of class. So after another day of class, I feel like my brain just might explode, although my Swahili is really improving so it's all worth it.

Unfortunately, I am pretty much out of time. But I have so much more I wish I could share about my time here so far (including my first Mutatu ride...oh my goodness was it fun)! I guess it will have to wait until next time. Hopefully I'll have a chance to write again in the next couple of days! I just wanted to let you all know I'm here and safe and LOVING IT!

ps - for those who have emailed THANKS! I proooomise I'll get back to youu next time. When I have the money to do it. ;) I love you all!