Family Life and the weeks ahead….

My first night in Lumbisí I turned on my laptop. My computer mouse over the wireless network only for it to say “not connected – no connections are available”. In Chicago I could always pick up some random connection no matter where I was. Welcome to Lumbisí. I swear this blog would be easier to keep up with if I had internet at home…

I have exactly 3 weeks left in this country. I guess the best way to describe how I feel is “bittersweet” (I wonder how you say that in Spanish…). I ultimately decided (after months of debate) not to stay the summer, mainly because I have a couple jobs/internships waiting for me in Chicago.

My host family seriously made this trip as fantastic as it was. For anyone reading this and is thinking of studying abroad in Ecuador, request to live in Lumbisí and live with Guadalupe and Rodrigo!! I’m 100% serious. I’m convinced that I was given the best family. They were the VERY first family in Lumbisí to ever host students/volunteers (because no one else wanted to do it)and they’ve had people from all over the world, from great Spanish speakers to people who have come in with absolutely no knowledge of the language. They’re used to anything and anyone and they’re soooo good at being hosts! At this point in my trip they are no longer hosts, they are family.

My host mom is super sweet. She does A LOT of work for the community so shes always buzzing around, but we spend aloooot of time talking and joking around about basically everything. We have our own inside jokes and anyone that hangs out with us for long enough will pick up on that. Shes a great cook, and makes all of my favorite food whenever I request/hint at it. I’ve become so spoiled here, eating 3 great Ecuadorian meals a day. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like going back to my bohemian life (college apartment. No food. Enough said. )My host dad works in Quito and is also super involved in the community, so hes not home as much but hes still pretty cool.

Host siblings: Felipe and Cristina. 8 year old twins. Enough said, they’re hilarious. They keep me laughing for hours on end. Plus there probably the cutest 8 year olds in Lumbisí.

I’ve realized how blessed I am to have a host family that I love soooo much. Host families can make or break the experience. As some people are super ready to leave and go back to the states to get away from their host family, I wish that there were some way that I could take them with me, or that I could stay in their house forever. I’ve gotten so comfortable living there and I really do feel like a part of the family.

My mother (real mother) was here last week. Best family experience ever. She doesn’t speak Spanish and my family basically doesn’t speak any English either but somehow they got along great, sharing laugh and Pilseners (Ecuadorian brand of beer). She agreed with what I already knew – I had the best host family ever.

Looking back I’ve realized that I haven’t posted as many blog entries during my time here is I would have liked…that was bound to happen. I started a travel blog to document my study abroad experience but as the time went on it became less of a “study abroad experience” - it became my life. I started off as a foreign exchange student and I’m sitting here completely accustomed to the life I have in this country, forgetting what life was like back in Chicago, feeling like I belong. It has gotten to the point that when I came to my house in Lumbisí from Perú, it felt like I came home. I can’t even imagine what it will be like to go back to Chicago and sleep in the bed that I haven’t slept in since December; to talk to the people that I’ve lost contact with over the months due to lack of internet and such; to have to answer the question “so how was Ecuador?” a million times only to pause, reminisce, and respond “It was great. I’m totally going back” because you can’t find any other words to summarize how you feel. I’ve definitely had my ups and downs (which all comes with well..any new part of life) but I thank God for everything He has shown me and given me during my time here. In the past 4 months Ecuador has carved a space in my heart that could never be erased. This is my life. This is home.