A sneak-peak at some of my life goals:

My yoga studio/bedroom

-Achieve Enlightenment and sustained happiness

-Play with a monkey (CHECK!)

I think that I have been delaying this blog post as long as possible. Maybe it is because I am in denial that it will be my last entry before I leave this country. Maybe it is because the impending cold weather has made me lazy. Maybe it is just because I have been bogged down with work during finals week.

Beyond the red light district and coffee shops, Amsterdam is buzzing with a creative culture filled with art, music, great food, and cheap drinks. The city itself is very picturesque with canals spread throughout and plenty of shops and bars full of character. The Jordaan neighborhood in particular was home to many of the eclectic and culinary saavy hangouts inhabited by a very young crowd. If you have the chance to visit, I highly recommend going. It was among one of the coolest places I have been while abroad.

I was torn between two options for where I could spend my midterm break. Should I go with my friends to Romania and see the Black Sea and Dracula’s Castle? When else would I have the opportunity, right? But on the other hand, my boyfriend lives in Grenoble, France, and for only 180€ I could go and spend a few days with him…

Like my host dad always says, “Somos más estadounidenses que ustedes” (We are more American than you Americans), referring to how pervasive U.S. culture is in Ecuador.

It may be true; most Ecuadorians know more about Hollywood movies/actors, current music, sports results, etc. than me. Whenever anything U.S.-related comes up in class, my professors always turn to me for clarification and I sit there dumbfounded at how little I actually know about the U.S.

When I told one of my professors today that I spent the past few days in Granada, he rewarded me with a Spanish saying: “Él que no ha visto Grana-, no ha visto na-.” Translation: “He[or she] who has not seen Granada has not seen anything (nada).” Said with the accent of Andalucía, the southern region home to Granada, which basically consists of chopping off the ends of many words. The accent is like the city: easy to get lost in but even more fun because of the confusion.