Rewind

Back to step 1.

Do I do my own laundry?

Can I help myself to the food in the fridge?

What time should I get up in the morning?

Do I have a curfew?

When can I use the computer?

On friday the 29th, I carried my two bulging suitcases, two backpacks, and a very full duffel bag down the stairs of my house and nervously waited.

What was I waiting for?

The complete strangers that would hopefuly come to feel like my real family.

We live on a three story building. My grandma and grandpa live on the first floor. My aunt, uncle, and their two daughters live on the second floor. My family lives on the third floor. I have two brothers and one sister. Cesar (18) who is currently on his exchange in Austria, Guiseppe (14), and Cristina (23) who is studying in Quito.

On friday I was whisked away to Quito where we spent the weekend at my sister’s appartment. We watched movies, played cards, went shopping, and I got to know my new family. It was so nice to have a sister again! After having an all boy family for the last five months, it was great to have someone that preferred going to the mall to watching football.

On Sunday we drove back to Riobamba and I unpacked all my luggage and then spent the rest of the day playing Mario Kart with my little cousin. She’s probably my favorite family member!

The rest of my family is super nice. My parents told me that they consider me their real daughter and my dad is so sweet, he calls me “mi amor.” I get along really well with my little brother and my seventeen year old cousin. I usually spend the afternoons at my cousins house watching movies and playing Dance Dance Revolution (I suck at that game!).

The rest of the week was spent doodling at school, hanging out with the exchange students (a girl from Australia just arrived!), and trying to figure out the customs of my new host family.

Also, Carnaval is starting! It’s an Ecuadorian holiday that consists of throwing water balloons, eggs, flours, and mud at random people in the streets. Carnaval officially starts on the 15th of February, but the mayhem begins long before that. So these days I often come home with my clothes completely soaked and egg in my hair. It’s great! I’ll be sure to post an update next week, once this holiday really gets started.

Oh, and I have a preliminary return date! June 19th. It’s soo soon, I don’t want my exchange to be over!

Alex