First Week Full of Adventures

This blog may be posted a little late because of some technical difficulties, but these pictures represent the first crazy week of my semester abroad! From the flight in over the beautiful Andes, to the mini trip we went on during the first weekend, it has all been incredible. We talked a lot about culture shock in orientation, and also a lot about the potential dangers here (2 students got their Iphones stolen within the first week), but overall it hasn't been too hard. The biggest difference for me, besides the Spanish, is that I am living in a city. It has definitely been hard to get used to the lack of independence that a blond woman like me has here. I can't walk around very comfortably after the sun goes down around 7, and even during the day we don't wear shorts and have to be careful on crowded buses or streets. But every morning when I wake up I can see the volcanic mountains that surround the city and I know there will be many opportunities to travel beyond city limits. Our first trip to a city called Otavalo included some delicious food, a huge artisanal market, a wood makers workshop tour, and a boat tour around Lake Cuicocha. I have also gone to the Botanical Garden in the large park by my house, toured the historic center and many of its ornate churches, and met a lot of loving host family. My host mom, Martha, is the only person I live with and she makes me feel very comfortable. I really feel like a kid again because she insists on making me all my meals, doing my laundry and even cleaning my room when I'm not around! It's almost too nice! I have to force her to let me do dishes sometimes. Overall, it's been an amazing first week and there will be a lot more adventures to come.