Chao por ahora, Quito

    Let me start off by saying, like many people before me have, that study abroad was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. My time spent in Ecuador taught me so much: about the country, about the culture and most notably about myself. When my school first told me that for my study abroad I would be going to Ecuador, I honestly wasn’t that impressed. If you had given me a list of Spanish speaking countries, it probably wouldn’t have been my first choice. Well let me tell you, God works in mysterious ways because Ecuador was one of the most incredible places I’ve ever had the opportunity to visit. Geographically, the country is magnificent. In a matter of hours you can visit the beach, the Amazon, and the Andes without ever needing your passport. If that wasn’t enough, it’s only a short plane ride and you will arrive in the Galapagos Islands. Just like the Pacific Northwest, Ecuador is beautiful in it’s own unique way and in my time spent there, I fell absolutely in love with it. While the altitude most definitely sucks (as you will probably hear from anyone who visits Quito), the city and the beautiful mountains towering around it, makes it all worth it.

    Not only did I fall in love with the city, but I fell in love with the people. For the most part, every time that I needed help in Ecuador, there was always a friendly bystander waiting to help. And even more important than the people that I passed on the street, were the friends that I made in school and in other places. They were friends who knew that in 5 short months I would be leaving the country, and took in the little gringa anyways and treated her as if the end of her time there was indefinite.

    Through my time in Ecuador, my Spanish improved, my spirit for travel grew, and my heart was filled through the new experiences and the new friendships that I gained. It sounds cliché to say that study abroad was life changing, especially for someone who was only gone for 5 months, but through my experience I grew so much as a person and it’s a type of growth that I couldn’t have accomplished any other way. I’m keeping this post short and sweet because I could go on forever about how much I loved Ecuador and all of South America, but nobody wants to read my blog forever. I can say with complete confidence that I will be returning to South America and Ecuador in the future, because my experience there was so incredible. When I got home, I don't think that I could have been happier to see my friends, my family, and the evergreens but, even now after being home for almost a whole month, my heart aches for the part of my life that I built in Ecuador. If I could hop on a plane right now and start traveling again, I would do it in a heartbeat. If anything, my time in Ecuador reminded me how much I want to see the world. I never would have thought that South America would have been one of my favorite places, but I can say now that I can’t wait to see it in its entirety and all of its diverse cultures.

    I have said it before and I will say it again: I am forever grateful for Ecuador and everything that it has given me, in knowledge, in experience and in spirit.  Quito, tienes un pedacito de mi corazón. Nos vemos muy pronto.

Until the next adventure,

Claire