 |
| Quito, Ecuador |
As we stepped off of the bus dragging our suitcases that
Friday night into the busy streets of Quito, Rachel and I were feeling more
apprehensive than excited. Our flight had arrived in Ecuador that evening, and
we were waiting for our host families to pick us up and take us home for the
night. I glanced around as we stood in a crowded section of Quito, the capitol
of Ecuador, and home to over two
million people. We both looked at each other with worried glances.
Unfortunately, we began our trip disappointed.
When Rachel and I first signed up
for the trip, we were filled with excitement- the opportunity to experience a
new country with each other was a chance that comes around once in a lifetime. The
trip was to begin in the city of Quito, where we would spend time living
together with a roommate and our host family when we weren’t working in the
schools. Rachel and I attended the meetings and applied for the trip together, eager
for the opportunity to live as roommates and share our experience. It wasn’t
until we left and boarded the plane to Ecuador that we were told we would
actually be living alone with separate host families. The scheduling did not
work out as planned, and they, unfortunately, had to place us individually. While
this seemed like a minor glitch in planning to the directors of the trip, to
us, it was a big deal. While we both studied Spanish in high school, neither of
us speaks fluently. We were hoping to rely on one another to communicate with
our families, expecting that what one of us lacked in vocabulary the other could
fill in. Rachel was also my piece of home; everything else was different: the
language, the people, the culture. I was hoping to have her to make the
experience that already had me stepping out of my comfort zone slightly easier.
But, life doesn’t always go as planned, and Rachel and I learned that first
hand. I worriedly waved goodbye that night to Rachel and headed to what would
be my new home during our time in Quito.
I feel
silly, looking back, that I began the trip apprehensively. Our professor tried
to ease our worries about living alone by telling us that the hospitality of
the Spanish culture is unmatched, and the people truly welcome you into their
hearts and homes as if you are a part of their families. She was completely right. My host father and
mother welcomed me into their home that night and for the remainder of the trip
with open arms. They were patient with my oftentimes broken Spanish, and the
language barrier wasn’t as big of a problem as I thought it would be. I told my
professor before we had left the airport that I was worried about not being
able to communicate with my family. She told me that communication is 93
percent nonverbal. Body language is said to make up 55 percent, whereas tone of
voice accounts for 38 percent. I thought these numbers were high, and initially
didn’t believe her. But, she was right once again. When I spoke with my family
and the language wasn’t completely clear I was surprised by how much I
understood due to their phrasings and body language. When I couldn’t think of
the Spanish word to convey what I wanted to say, I would mimic what I meant,
and the unintended games of charades between my family and I were pretty
amusing at times. My host family had a grandson named Julian who is five years
old and lived with us as well. I watched cartoons with him at night, and
although I couldn’t always keep up with the Spanish, his laughter at the funny
parts was unmistakable. I was worried for no reason.
 |
| Rach and I enjoying Quito! |
That first night we ate dinner in
their cozy apartment, and after they took me to the roof of the housing
complex. My unnecessary worry had not allowed me to appreciate the beauty of
Quito until that moment. Standing on the roof, I gazed at the phenomenal view-
an endless array of lights that stretched across the land between the Andes
Mountains. Located in the Guyllalbamba River Basin, Quito is surrounded by volcanoes,
one of them being active. Quito is 9,200 feet above sea level, and is the
highest capital city in the world. It is also nicknamed “ciudad de los cielos”,
or the city of the heavens. I realized how deserving of the nickname the city was as
I gazed at the glowing lights illuminating the high elevation with my host family-gone were my
previous feelings of apprehension and worry.
 |
| A statue said to look over and protect the "city of the heavens" |
Rachel and I had sat through the
flight worried and arrived with a negative mindset, all because things hadn’t
gone exactly as they were supposed to. If there is one lesson I learned from
spending time in Latin America, hardly anything goes exactly as it is supposed
to. Rach and I let our preconceived notions of what we thought the trip was
“supposed to be” hinder us from embracing what it was. While I didn’t have
Rachel in my home, I had an amazing experience with my host family.
 |
| The local indigenous man who made us lunch! |
As Rachel and I met up that next
morning after the first night to take the bus to the Academy, we filled each
other in about our experiences and came to the same conclusion: although
everything didn’t go exactly as we had expected, we agreed to embrace our
situation and appreciate it for what it was for the remainder of the trip. And
that’s just what we did!
 |
| Photo Credit: Maura Collea |
For instance, a weekend excursion
away from Quito took us to the renowned markets of the indigenous people of Otavalo.
Otavalo is a beautiful town surrounded by the volcanoes Imbabura, Cotacachi,
and Mojanda. The town consists mostly of the indigenous people who all come to
the markets to sell their handmade goods. The indigenous people of Otavalo have been
meeting to sell their goods at this marketplace for hundreds of years, and
their tradition and way of life has stood the test of time-they still wear
their traditional clothing and maintain their customs. After shopping at the
market place, our group was invited by one of the local indigenous people to
have lunch with his family. While we were sitting down enjoying the homemade
meal, the last dish was passed between us all. This dish was a local Otavalo
favorite and a delicacy in their culture called Cuy, or cooked Guinea pig. Although
the thought of cooked Guinea pig wasn’t the most tempting thing to either
Rachel or myself, we looked at each other, laughed, and tried it anyway. In the
Ecuadorian culture it is considered offensive to pass or refuse to eat food, and
although we weren’t expecting to eat Guinea pig, we embraced the situation for
what it was. It turns out, the Guinea pig was pretty tasty, and Rachel even had
seconds!
 |
| Rachel grinning with a guinea pig! |
 |
| Otavalan women at the market place |
While eating dinner (no guinea pig
this time) with my family the last night of my stay, my host father told me
that I was always welcome in their home. He said that although I lived with
them only a short time, I was part of their family now, and if I ever returned
to Ecuador, I better come visit my home and family. This statement was genuine
and touching, and I realized that the change in plans allowed Rachel and I to
have unique opportunities that the other students living together did not. We
were able to make close connections with our host families, step farther out of
our comfort zone, and embrace a new perspective in regards to our adjusted expectations.
While our stay wasn’t what we envisioned our original situation to be, the
change in plans allowed us to broaden our views, both figuratively and literally.
While the other students were located in the center of Quito, we were on the
outskirts. This allowed us to have an amazing view of the city that those in
the center didn’t have. Looking back, I’m glad things didn’t go as we thought they
were supposed to. I learned that in life, things don’t always go as planned.
But, if you embrace the unexpected rather than worrying about it, you might be
surprised by the possibilities!
