And That's a Wrap!

   And so my exchange comes to a close. Sometimes I look back and think to myself, "How did I get here and how did time go by so fast?" Of course there are times when I just sit there and watch the seconds tick by on the little green clock that sits beside my bed, but I suppose that's life! To tie up my 9 months of blogging, I wanted to kind of sum up my year now that it's over (well, I have 3 days left- so basically over) as well as show the pictures of the last week.

   This year was, by far, one of the most intense years of my life. While I successfully avoided the ever-dreaded "Senioritis" that all the Seniors go through in their final year of high school, I did get my fair share of homesickness, culture shock, sadness, anger, adventure, surprise, happiness, joy and fulfillment. To top it all off, I got a new set of experiences and friends, neither of which I will forget for the rest of my life.

   As much as I got out of this year, I know I could have experienced even more. Rules are made for a reason, and I have never been one to push them (mostly...), but sometimes I wish I did push them or at least ask more. There are so many places even just around my area that I would have loved to see, but for fear of being told "no" or out of sheer laziness, I didn't get out there and look. I had an excuse for everything here, "It's too hot", "It's too dangerous", "I'm tired" and I feel like I missed out a lot on my exchange. I sometimes feel like it wasn't worth it- but that's where I stop myself. I know for a fact that these last 9 months were worth it, even if I didn't get to do all the things I had come into the exchange wanting to do. I learned a language, made life long friends, and did something that not a lot of kids my age get to do. I have been to the Galapagos Islands, I have seen some of the most rare animals in the world, I have seen things that people wait their whole lives to see.

The closest thing to a goodbye/birthday party I got.
I love these sweet kids. The kids from Taiwan
made us typical food. 

Just my best friend, Maria and I being goofs on the roof! 

Exchange Students Santa Maria style!
(Left to Right: Vicky (Taiwan), Me, Deborah and Maria (Both from the US)

My class! They take a picture like this
daily! haha Silly Ecuadorians! 

   So now the year is over and I now go back to life in the United States, but it will be far from life as I knew it. I have changed and the people I knew have changed. While it will be challenging at first, I will slowly begin to reintegrate with those I was once close to, as well as make new friends! College begins in the Fall and even more new experiences are just right around the corner.

   Thank you to all who have helped me in my adventure abroad. Without the support I have received, I would not have made it through all those hard times. Thank you for keeping up with the hizhaps of my exchange, I really enjoy writing these blogs and I only hope you have enjoyed reading them just as much! I hope to continue informing you all about my life Post-Exchange as it will most likely be just as interesting as like on exchange, what with all the moving around and newness.


PS- I threw together an interactive map of all the places I have visited here in Ecuador. If you have a minute, check it out. (:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=213165373003073349500.0004c02e9d4b4ea8a0073

Lots of amor,
Marlee

The Last Stop

   Why hello there Friends, Family and Rotarians! Howdy do on this fine May morning? I apologize for not getting to the computer earlier to update you all in my never ending adventures, but here I am, ready to write the next addition to my life.
   A surprisingly grand amount of events have occured since I last posted and even as things are winding down, little things seem to keep popping up. Firstly, and probably most significant, our exchange students had their final trip a couple weeks ago. Why Rotary made our last trip in the middle of April, I will never know, but it did allow me to leave as early as I needed to. Having to say goodbye like that, but knowing you will be seeing them again, was still all too hard and it was only a mere fraction of what it will be like saying goodbye to my regional friends. Those guys have kept me going this whole year. But as they say here, all the time, "Asi es la vida" (or, That's just the way life is). So why don't we get into those trip details!

   Our final trip consisted of countless hours in a bus, 140 exchange students, and the wide open (totally narrow and sketchy) Ecuadorian road. We started our trip in the capital city, Quito and traveled from there. Everyday went as follows: Wake up, pack your things, eat breakfast, leave for the next city, do your city thang, get into the city of the day at 8pm, eat dinner, sleep, repeat. It was quite the adventure! Hitting 8 of the country's main cities, we got to see the REAL Ecuador. The Ecuador that wakes up early in the morning to wash the clothes on the outside washing block. The Ecuador that walks on the side of the highway, up the mountain passes to get to their destination. The Ecuador that produces hard, honest workers. It was a refreshing site.

   One thing I have talked to my host parents about, and one of my biggest upsets about the Rotary here is the fact that we do not get to experience that "real" Ecuador. The exchange students here live in mini mansions, with maids, their own bathrooms, indoor pools and there was even one girl who had her own bodyguard! We are not put into the typical Ecuadorian home, which also means that the typical Ecuadorian is not being sent out on exchange. Here in my city, the typical home consists of one bathroom, water that decides when it wants to turn on, modest furniture and one TV, at most- yet the house of my peers are these extravagant wonders. I know not everyone agrees that we should be put in normal houses, as I'm sure they've grown accustomed to having someone make their bed, wash their clothes and make their sheets, but it just seems like the alternative would yield more life changing results. But hey, okay. That's that. Back to the trip!

   The details of the trip are not as important as the pictures. We had one day that was particularly profound though. We started the day off in Riobamba, nicknamed Friobamba for the cold days, and made our way up to Mt. Chimborazo, which, due to its location on the equatorial  bulge, makes it the furthest point in the world from the earth's center! It was approximately 44 degrees up on the mountain and I was wearing leggings, yoga pants, wool socks, boots, 2 shirts, a jacket and a llama sweater on top and I was STILL so cold! But it was so nice to be in that cold environment again. To be wearing all of those layers and not be sweating! It was an absolute miracle. After we had taken our pictures and caught our breathe (due to the extreme elevation, we coastal kids had a kick in the pants) all 140 of us crammed into the small lodge for some delicious hot chocolate. Again, I was able to drink a hot drink in front of a FIREPLACE no less, without blasting the air conditioner nor sweating. Bliss. When the hot chocolate ran out, we packed up and headed to our next destination: The Middle of the World.

It says 'Ecuador' (: 

   At the very center of the world lies a kind of amazing monument where were able to take pictures. Due to our hectic schedule, however, we were only able to stay for a half hour, but we made the best of it! The actual monument is not where the real middle of the world is. We saw the real thing on our first day, and it was really nothing special. I guess they made a mistake in the planning, oops! But, like I said, the real monument was really great! There's a whole little town inside the gates where people sell trinkets, as is very common every where you go in Ecuador; a spot for people to enjoy live music, there are almost always performers there; and of course, the monument itself. Just a quick couple of pictures and we were off! But this time to the costa: to Guayaquil!  

   Here's where the profoundness of this day comes into full view. We headed to Guayaquil which is most certainly the hottest city in Ecuador. We all got off the bus and were immediately assaulted by the wave of heat and humidity that is all too common on the coast. Yet despite the fact that the heat is the melting kind, and makes me sweat 100 % of the time, it was kind of nice to be home. We took a night walk in Guayaquil to the lighthouse there called the Malecón and it's a whopping 444 stair steps to get to the top. We teenagers tackled those steps like champs and the view from the top was amazing! After the lighthouse, we walked the short walk back to our hotel and went to bed! But I think out of all 10 days we were out, it was the most interesting day for sure. 

  It's so hard to give light to every single day we were out, but here is a picture review of what we did: 

This is my best friend Maria and I in Baños

Day #3 we headed to hike some waterfalls and explore the
infamously hippie town of Baños

In Cuenca, which was near the end of our trip, we visited
Inca Ruins where we got to learn about the lifestyle of
the Incas that lived there and play with llamas! 

This is at the llama farm we went to (we actually got to EAT llama!).
The view was gorgeous and the flowers were perfect for making flower crowns! 

This. This is my city. Machala got flooded the night we were
there, so naturally we did nothing on that night. 

In Guayaquil, we visited the historical museum where we got
a feel for how it was to live back in colonial days in Ecuador

This was our last day and our last goodbye. Everrryone was crying! We're
pictured with the District Chairman in the center with the black suit. 

    Other than the Big Trip, there's nothing too important to report. We have since started school up again and that just brings up the same dread for the day that I felt at the beginning of the exchange. School here is more miserable than anything else I've had to tackle here, but I will say that this year's class is wonderful and I kind of love them! On the bright side of everything, ever, I have two weeks left and then I head back home to the states! I'll make sure to write again before I leave!

Until then,

Marlee the adventurer.