Off to Quito!

In just a few hours, I will be driving to the airport, getting ready to board my plane to Quito, Ecuador. It seems so strange to think that this day has finally come. I knew since my freshman year of college that I wanted to study abroad, but it wasn’t until this past semester that I finally settled on Quito. While I have been to Central America before, this is the first time I’ll be in South America, as well as the first time that I will have lived in another country for more than three weeks. It’s exciting, nerve-wracking, and pretty much guaranteed to be life-changing. I’ll keep this short, as I’ll be getting up early to leave for the airport, but I figured I would list a few goals I have for my time abroad, at least as of now.

1. Speak as much Spanish as possible.
I’ve been taking Spanish classes for a while, but there’s really no substitute for actually going to a Spanish-speaking country and immersing oneself in the language. To that end, I’m glad that IES has a language pledge, although I’ll admit that it seems a bit intimidating now, the day before I leave, as I attempt to remember all the Spanish I’ve learned the past few years. Nevertheless, I’m really looking forward to improving my Spanish and speaking with locals.

2. Live in the moment.
I’ve been abroad before, but this is the first time I’ll really be living abroad. I hope to be able to take advantage of all that Quito has to offer, and get to know as much about the country as I can.

3. Make long-lasting connections: with my host family, the other members of my program and my classmates at PUCE, and others who I may happen to meet.

¡Es todo por ahora! I hope this blog becomes not only a way for me to keep in touch with my friends and family from home, but also a helpful resource for other students considering Quito.

And with that, I’m off! In a couple hours, anyway☺