Three weeks in and I am finally starting to feel a bit more comfortable. I no longer need to catch my breath from walking up a hill or three flights of stairs. I no longer am intimidated by this huge city, and most importantly, I am confident I can solve almost any problem that comes my way.
I know this because I have dealt with way too much mierda these past three weeks. I’ve been sick almost every single day. Went to the hospital-and I’m finally starting to feel better. Received unexpected news at the hospital, and my phone was stolen on the ecuavia.
A normal person would be completely overwhelmed with this. To be honest, at first I was, but then I remembered all of my blessings. I’ve been sick, but I’m getting better. I went to the hospital and really experienced some culture shock, BUT I learned how to say tonsils and tonsillectomy in Spanish! I also figured out who my people are.
Amígdalas-tonsils
Amigdalectomía-tonsillectomy
Shout out to my new yunta for a bonding experience via diarrhea and utter confusion in the hospital. And a huge thank you to our director Elizabeth for taking care of us and making sure everything went smoothly.
I was pleasantly surprised at the hospital with how confident I am speaking Spanish in stressful situations and was almost able to communicate perfectly, until we were using more medical specific vocabulary. (Here is a quick shout out to Belky from La Niña for teaching me as much medical terminology as possible).
My phone was stolen on the ecuavia. But on the brightside, now I have none of my contacts or photos and plenty of storage room. I also can buy a new one of those fun fidget things for the back of my phone. What I am really thankful for is that someone just took my phone, not my money, or copy of a passport, or computer. Just my phone, and I wasn't hurt in anyway. I didn't even notice that it was happening. I'm telling you these gitanos are really good at what they do.
At the end of the day, what keeps me going is knowing how many people I have supporting me, thinking of what my life is going to be like at the end of this journey, and reminding myself that this isn't necessarily about me, this trip has a much more meaningful purpose.
My life is completely changing, and I have never felt closer to all of my grandparents who immigrated to a new country alone in their twenties. All these new, different, and scary experiences are what one day will make me who I am.
Sending love from Quito
While writing: Mike sent me; El Condor Pasa by Simon & Garfunkle
https://youtu.be/pey29CLID3I
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