It's still summer and I am just creating my blog. For those of you who I invited to be a part of my adventure in Ecuador, welcome! There was a strong request for me to set up a blog to keep everyone in the States up to date on what I will be doing. And I mostly just wanted to prevent forcing my parents to answer the same question ten thousand times. So this will be where you can check up on me and leave conversations with my parents to exciting things, like Idaho weather!
Having said that, I don't want to limit myself to this blog. I therefore promise no more than an ordinary update, and maybe sometimes no more than once a month. That way I won't feel tied to the computer. Since I'll be attempting to learn another language at a mad hard-core rate, it is possible that my English might suffer a little, or it might go to a little Spanglish, but I'll do my best! I'm also not going to be posting a bunch of sappy, gory, personal details here, just general impressions and a catalog of what I am doing. But I am almost one hundred percent positive that cataloging of events by itself should never be boring.
First of all, I wanted to include ways that I can be contacted while I am abroad. As of now, the only way is through my email, which is spacychicky@hotmail.com. I may eventually obtain a cell phone, but I would prefer not to, simply because I don't want the hassle. I will also have a mailing address, but I won't know that until I get there. My school email address is emilyk@***.edu but I would prefer to keep that reserved for business emails, so my hotmail address would be a better way to get hold of me.
Second, I wanted to explain a little more of what I will be doing. While I was still up in Moscow, I took a Spanish aptitude test for my placement in the language learning program. I will be a part of the intensive Spanish courses offered at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador for the first semester. I hope to then be at a high enough level in my Spanish abilities to take regular PUCE university classes for the second semester in their local Spanish language, but I'll just have to see when the time comes.
This program is a direct-exchange program through UI and is specifically set up as a Service-Learning program, which will include cross-cultural learning, global ethics, social responsibility, and service learning. I won't know specifically what I will be doing for this until I get there, but it should be fun.
I will be leaving the United States on August 1st, 2008. I bought a one-way ticket because my parents and I agreed that coming home for Christmas would only cause culture-shock complications with the rapid changes in cultures that a trip home would bring. Therefore, a specific date for my return is not chosen.
As a part of the culture shock, I can assure you that I will go through some extreme loneliness, trying to find friends in a culture that I don't understand yet. So, don't be afraid to write to me however you'd like. And I know that snail-mail abroad is rather slow and expensive, so I will welcome all communication warmly.
Thanks for the support everyone, and please enjoy your year.
Emmy
