Friday, May 18, 2012

The day before leaving for Peru & Ecuador

I am leaving so soon for Peru and Ecuador. The weird thing is, i am not feeling any excitement yet even though i am leaving tomorrow. I guess i have been just busy packing, packing and packing. Packing is very stressful because i have to make sure a several times that i am not missing anything. Also, you want to just get it done quick so that you can hang out with your friends.

I will be in Peru for 4 weeks, from May 19th till June19th. and i will be in Ecuador from June 19th till Dec 23rd. I will be in Cuzco as a volunteer (thr.UBELONG) working with mentally-ill adults in a mental health clinic and what i will be doing, as i understand so far, is help a local psychologist there with whatever he or she needs. I didn't think that this will be a challenge until my mentor and my friends who have worked at a mental hospital told me. I know now that i have to not only physically but also mentally prepare for ... 'surprises'..i guess. I am very excited for staying with the host family there, because i think that's the best way to get to know the culture and language. I am also excited for traveling alone to places in Cuzco. There a lot of advantages traveling in groups (you are for sure safer) but i also think there's such value in going to places alone (for example, you learn to be more independent?). One of  my favorite authors in Korea was a backpack traveler and she inspired me in many ways to be step out of my comfort zone. I have to keep in mind constantly that

1. Be in the attitude of learning.
2. Be open-minded (don't judge!)
3. Relax, relax and relax. Just enjoy.

After 4 weeks of volunteering in Cuzco, i will fly to Lima and take a flight there to Quito, Ecuador. I will be there in Quito 2 months earlier before my student-exchange program starts in mid-August. I will be staying at my friend's house, a friend who was an exchange student in my freshman year. I remember talking to him about me visiting him in Ecuador after i get a job and have some money to visit, but here i am. Really, who knows where life will take us?

I am going to Ecuador to study abroad. He wasn't the reason to study abroad, of course, but certainly he and another good friend of mine, raised my interest in choosing Ecuador for studying Spanish. I think if it wasn't for them, i would have studied abroad somewhere else. Friends do make a difference. But, now that i think of it, i think Ecuador is a good place to study abroad because i have always wanted to go to developing countries and also if i were to learn Spanish, go to central or south american countries to learn the language. Anyways, i am very excited to see my friends because i miss them. 


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