EcuaFeels

I caught mountain fever in the Andes and the astonishing sights of the páramo grasses are forever etched in my brain. Cajas National Park might be my best memory due to the sights of the stars and the beauty of it all, but there was nothing un-beautiful about this country. The locals were so kind and the Andes inviting. The only part I would change is my lack of ability to speak Spanish, but I definitely got by just fine. I got to experience indigenous communities, city life, local farms, traditional meals, and the catholic religion all while learning more about myself. It's exhausting when

everything around you is new and you're trying to constantly understand another language but I'd do it all over again (and probably will in the future). I've had an amazing month here in Ecuador and got to know a lot of really cool people in my program. These memories are going to stay with me for a lifetime and it's crazy to think that it's all over. Take me back to all the nights spent in hotels and wandering around new cities in search of food, drinks, and discotecas. This has probably been one of the most fun learning

experiences of my life. I got to see so many aspects of Ecuador I wouldn't have gotten to see if I were just vacationing. It's gonna be weird not seeing cows everywhere, dogs hanging out on the roof of
houses, and people selling oranges at every stop light. We traveled to every type of ecosystem offered in Ecuador and they were all beautiful and astonishing. It's been harder to adapt back to American culture than it was to adjust to Ecuadorian customs. I want to speak in Spanish and started to think in it. I keep forgetting

you're ALLOWED to flush toilet paper down the toilet. It's always weird coming back, and every time I leave the country the U.S. feels a little less like home and more like a strange land. The more of the world I experience the smaller the differences I see person to person but the larger cultural differences I see and I can't ignore those differences. I feel as if Americans are stuck in this bubble and the only way to get out and open your mind it to travel to places you've never been.

You can find my daily logbook at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xxBb713zRg3MGurfuqmHUEkNIlKVcSrjw4Mr-lQU0PU/edit?usp=sharing

You can see all of my pictures at:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10158631559295212.1073741845.679135211&type=1&l=8bc2c23e12