the love of adventure: Cuenca!!

Today was amazing. I woke up at 6 am to pack up and meet my driver to go to the airport by 7 am in Quito. I couldn't sleep last night thinking about everything in Cuenca, I was just too excited! I was nervous that I wouldn't wake up so I set 2 alarms on my watch and had the front desk man make a wake up call. It was very cold in Quito last night and I didn't have my large suitcase only my carry on. I made it to the airport on time and sooner than later I was in Cuenca meeting my house mother, Marcela and her two daughters Isabel, 18 and Gabriela 16. I already loved them before I met them. :) It was so good to meet them, however I still have not received my large suitcase (wasn't there at the Cuenca baggage claim) and I couldn't give them my house gift that my mom so carefully picked out. I was so excited to present them with this gift, but now I need to worry about not only recovering their gift, but all of my clothes! There was a mix up in the airport and a miscommunication with the baggage, so we are working that out and I spoke with the administration at my program.

We drove about ten minutes in their little car back to their house. It is stunning. The streets are like cobblestone and the hillsides green from the ample amount of rain year round. I met their golden lab, Bruno. Later we had lunch, their biggest meal of the day. Marcela made us a sweet golden rice, tilapia (fish) with a tangy lime cream sauce, fried plantains, salad, tomato juice ( pretty good actually!), and set on the table was salsa and hot sauce (homemade). The meal was exceptional! Everything had amazing bursts of flavor. The culture here has a small breakfast, a large lunch and a small dinner, which can consist of left overs from lunch or dessert and coffee or just coffee. Their lunch is an important time for family. Everyone comes home and there is a break in schools and work. Its so nice to see how intentional family time is to them. Within one day I got a great feel for their little family, the city and a little glimpse of the program for my school.

After lunch we walked about a half an hour into the city where the cathedrals are and the centro and the parks. Its a beautiful walk and fun to people watch. There are a lot of little bakeries along the way and a lot of little shops selling games/dvd's. The little old women with extremely long black braids and colorful blouses are here and there eating some type of traditional food. I spoke with some of the people running CEDEI the program for interamericanos. It looks like this semester is going to be a BLAST! My first two weeks I will be taking spanish, art, music and dance. (My cooking class will be integrated into my semester long classes. :)) In the semester long program we will be taking periods of time off from 5-8 days to do excursions...And when I say excursions I mean the Galapagos Islands, the Jungle, and Machu Pichu. I'm not quite sure I fell into this program other than that God is GREAT. And I'm not sure I deserve all of this!

My two new sisters walked with me up to the program office and met me back to walk back down to the house a couple hours later. They are so sweet and fun girls. I love Marcela and the father Xavier is so welcoming and such a little humble man. :) I love this family, this city and everything already. Myria one of the program leaders informed me of all the upcoming festivals and holidays...!! I'll keep ya updated. The end of the year festival is celebrated here instead of the new year. That will be on the 31st and Marcela my house mom will be cooking for it two days in advance! haha BIG FIESTA!!

Please Pray for my lost luggage!! and that God will encounter the 2 new groups arriving tomorrow. ( They will be here a month, my semester long group will be here in two weeks)

God Bless! I will be waking up at 6:45 to have breakfast and make the walk to class manana!!:)
Buenos noches!