I had tres leches cake for breakfast this morning - welcome back indeed
Got back to Quito yesterday. Mixed emotions, but in general I'm happy to be back. Got Middle Eastern food last night with Grace and Allie, the former I'd seen frequently during my internship, the latter I'd very much missed and whose help I needed to make my decision about the summer.
Long story short, I'll be coming home to DC to work for an organization that deals with social justice and human right in Latin America. It's what I've wanted, mental health-wise, for a long time, and it's a great opportunity. (Anyone who wants to hear the long story, I'm happy to share it.) I actually just realized this will be the longest summer I've had in a while: my abroad program ends a week earlier than Grinnell would, and Grinnell classes start a week later than they usually do. Even with having to get back two weeks early for cabinet training/SGA prep, it's still 12 weeks, only 8 of which I have to be interning (and they don't have to be consecutive!).
My host family here was so happy to see me, wanted to hear all about the last month, and were so concerned about me with what happened at Tech. I felt like I'd come home after a long trip, or semester even. It really felt like home. I was doing my thing, as were my sister and mother, but I had the door open in case they wanted to come by. After lunch of ham, seasoned rice, and tres leches cake, I just sat in my room catching up on emails, making phone calls, and enjoying the sunlight streaming into my room. Even though I know the weather is no different than it was when I left in March, it's warmer and drier than in Cotacachi and it feels like spring. No, it feels like the beginning of summer when the weather is lovely and you have no responsibilities and everyone's just happy to see you.
After heading to the airport early this morning, another bright, beautiful day, to change traveler's checks, I waited for the MetroBus at the nearby stop, further north than the one I usually take. While I was on the platform, a woman came up to me, and in an unmistakably American accent asked if I spoke English. I smiled and decided it was not the time to try to convince her I was Argentine or Cuban. She asked me how to get to the Mariott in the Mariscal, and I was proud of myself for being able to tell her where to get off to switch to a different line and where to get off again. Taylor, a classmate of mine who'd been in Cotacachi, arrived at the same time and we had a good conversation about how it was nice to be back. Another girl on the platform, who actually looks a bit like Lina and I suspected to be American, asked me if I was a student. Turns out she's one of the University of Washington CIMAS students and I ran into her again in the computer lab that day. Hannah, as it turns out, is also planning to stay the summer with a classmate. Despite my initial happiness at having made the decision to leave, I had some initial regrets that I wouldn't get to know people like her, but if anything it's proof that I am capable of making friends in odd places, which is a comfort to know.
Returning to CIMAS was such a feel-good experience. Taylor and I ran into Emily Harrison on our way in. Dr Suarez happened to be at the front desk and I got my mail from Christy. Alex hugged me first thing when I got into the classroom, and an even longer one from Becka followed. Nora Shields and Phoebe were next, and damn, it's good to be around Grinnellians. Grinnell, like H-B, is a place in my life where I'm blessed to be able to call those people family.
We spent the morning with Emilia, our academic coordinator, and two of our professors (although not my favorite one) talking about our internship experiences and how they contribute to our understanding of development. Everyone was scrambling to share their stories of what they'd learned in their work and with their families, and it was great to see everyone's enthusiasm and hear their improved Spanish.
I sent all my crucial e-mails and Alex and I registered for fall classes side by side: I'd had mine decided for weeks and he picked his on the spot. Typical. Went out to lunch at Pizza Planet (yes, it's actually called that) with my girls: Becka, Allie and Grace. Becka and I had a really good talk about our internships, families, hearing the news about Paul and Tech. When we came back, we took advantage of the new study space in the basement to work for a few hours and then headed to the Mariscal for Indian food and studying at the Magic Bean, our favorite coffeehouse.
Yes, the main activity now is finishing our monografias. Now that I got to talk, at length in English to other Americans who understand my vantage point, about my experience with the women's groups in Cotacachi and the cultural struggle they face I'm really excited about it. I want it to be a really good paper since it's the capstone of my academic experience here. I just have to type up more of my interview and observation notes, finsih a few more readings, and then I can really write in earnest. I also have to write a few final paperworky-type things for CIMAS, one bullshit "study abroad class" assignment for U of M, and prepare my powerpoint presentation, but all we have is two hours of class tomorrow before presentations start on Tuesday. So if I were at Grinnell ahd had done this much research already (and knew I was unlikely to get lower than a B), I probably wouldn't be worried, either.
But it feels good to be "home." I missed the city and I missed my people here. It's going to be hard to say goodbye next Friday. (Although traveling with Allie, her sister and then my own family for about two weeks will probably make it easier to at least say goodbye to Ecuador.) But now I get to look forward to going to my real home and my people there.
Classes Fall 2007:
Political Economy of Developing Countries
International Migration (Sociology)
20th Century Social Movements (Sociology)
Library Research and Technology (to prepare me for my senior research project)
(We'll see which of those I actually get into since I think they'll be pretty popular. I'm only planning to take 12 credits and audit 4.)
Long story short, I'll be coming home to DC to work for an organization that deals with social justice and human right in Latin America. It's what I've wanted, mental health-wise, for a long time, and it's a great opportunity. (Anyone who wants to hear the long story, I'm happy to share it.) I actually just realized this will be the longest summer I've had in a while: my abroad program ends a week earlier than Grinnell would, and Grinnell classes start a week later than they usually do. Even with having to get back two weeks early for cabinet training/SGA prep, it's still 12 weeks, only 8 of which I have to be interning (and they don't have to be consecutive!).
My host family here was so happy to see me, wanted to hear all about the last month, and were so concerned about me with what happened at Tech. I felt like I'd come home after a long trip, or semester even. It really felt like home. I was doing my thing, as were my sister and mother, but I had the door open in case they wanted to come by. After lunch of ham, seasoned rice, and tres leches cake, I just sat in my room catching up on emails, making phone calls, and enjoying the sunlight streaming into my room. Even though I know the weather is no different than it was when I left in March, it's warmer and drier than in Cotacachi and it feels like spring. No, it feels like the beginning of summer when the weather is lovely and you have no responsibilities and everyone's just happy to see you.
After heading to the airport early this morning, another bright, beautiful day, to change traveler's checks, I waited for the MetroBus at the nearby stop, further north than the one I usually take. While I was on the platform, a woman came up to me, and in an unmistakably American accent asked if I spoke English. I smiled and decided it was not the time to try to convince her I was Argentine or Cuban. She asked me how to get to the Mariott in the Mariscal, and I was proud of myself for being able to tell her where to get off to switch to a different line and where to get off again. Taylor, a classmate of mine who'd been in Cotacachi, arrived at the same time and we had a good conversation about how it was nice to be back. Another girl on the platform, who actually looks a bit like Lina and I suspected to be American, asked me if I was a student. Turns out she's one of the University of Washington CIMAS students and I ran into her again in the computer lab that day. Hannah, as it turns out, is also planning to stay the summer with a classmate. Despite my initial happiness at having made the decision to leave, I had some initial regrets that I wouldn't get to know people like her, but if anything it's proof that I am capable of making friends in odd places, which is a comfort to know.
Returning to CIMAS was such a feel-good experience. Taylor and I ran into Emily Harrison on our way in. Dr Suarez happened to be at the front desk and I got my mail from Christy. Alex hugged me first thing when I got into the classroom, and an even longer one from Becka followed. Nora Shields and Phoebe were next, and damn, it's good to be around Grinnellians. Grinnell, like H-B, is a place in my life where I'm blessed to be able to call those people family.
We spent the morning with Emilia, our academic coordinator, and two of our professors (although not my favorite one) talking about our internship experiences and how they contribute to our understanding of development. Everyone was scrambling to share their stories of what they'd learned in their work and with their families, and it was great to see everyone's enthusiasm and hear their improved Spanish.
I sent all my crucial e-mails and Alex and I registered for fall classes side by side: I'd had mine decided for weeks and he picked his on the spot. Typical. Went out to lunch at Pizza Planet (yes, it's actually called that) with my girls: Becka, Allie and Grace. Becka and I had a really good talk about our internships, families, hearing the news about Paul and Tech. When we came back, we took advantage of the new study space in the basement to work for a few hours and then headed to the Mariscal for Indian food and studying at the Magic Bean, our favorite coffeehouse.
Yes, the main activity now is finishing our monografias. Now that I got to talk, at length in English to other Americans who understand my vantage point, about my experience with the women's groups in Cotacachi and the cultural struggle they face I'm really excited about it. I want it to be a really good paper since it's the capstone of my academic experience here. I just have to type up more of my interview and observation notes, finsih a few more readings, and then I can really write in earnest. I also have to write a few final paperworky-type things for CIMAS, one bullshit "study abroad class" assignment for U of M, and prepare my powerpoint presentation, but all we have is two hours of class tomorrow before presentations start on Tuesday. So if I were at Grinnell ahd had done this much research already (and knew I was unlikely to get lower than a B), I probably wouldn't be worried, either.
But it feels good to be "home." I missed the city and I missed my people here. It's going to be hard to say goodbye next Friday. (Although traveling with Allie, her sister and then my own family for about two weeks will probably make it easier to at least say goodbye to Ecuador.) But now I get to look forward to going to my real home and my people there.
Classes Fall 2007:
Political Economy of Developing Countries
International Migration (Sociology)
20th Century Social Movements (Sociology)
Library Research and Technology (to prepare me for my senior research project)
(We'll see which of those I actually get into since I think they'll be pretty popular. I'm only planning to take 12 credits and audit 4.)