Friends : )

Another boring Wednesday and I’m sitting at home, staring at the rain. It’s been raining a lot lately in Quito and there are times when it’s almost as though I’m back in Eugene. The past couple of weeks have been so scheduled and routine that I’m starting to feel like a robot. Here’s my life: wake up, get ready, work from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday-Friday, go home, go to bed, spend the entire weekend sleeping, partying or hanging out in Guápulo. Guápulo, by the way, is a hilly, old and beautiful neighborhood on the eastern side of Quito, where a bunch of my friends are living this semester. 

In addition to having an amazing view of the valley of Cumbaya (where USFQ is located), they are also within just a couple steps of some of the most trendy and laid-back cafés in Quito. I spent a very enjoyable night in Guápulo last Sunday as we sat around, ate fajitas and apple pie (I LOVE having friends who can cook!!!!), and chatted about everything from the upcoming elections to organic gardens in Cuba. I’ll also note that we never eat dinner without burning candles and competing over which of us can melt the most wax over the wine bottles that they awkwardly stick out from.

The pattern of late has been that the weeks go slow and the weekends end far too abruptly. Work, however, is getting much better as time goes on. Two nights ago, for example, was really cool because I got to go to a presentation on sustainable development in Quito. I was thrilled to finally do something outside of the office and to learn more about a topic that interests me. The abundance of 'beverages' and appetizers, I must admit, were also somewhat of a draw. The first month of working with CARE has been filled with a lot of bureaucracy and trying to get things under way. Thankfully, we’re getting very close to having everything approved and actually STARTING a project. I’m excited to do some serious work and hopefully having enough of it to keep me occupied throughout the entire day. 

Regarding the coming weekend, I have two days off on Monday and Tuesday because of “Carnaval”, so I’m hoping to travel somewhere far outside of Quito just to break the routine for a couple of days. The pictures I’ve posted include random nights from Guápulo and silliness. ¡Hasta Pronto!