Only in diversity of thought is learning possible

I really don't know where to begin. I feel like it's much to early to already be overwhelmed by my experiences, but at the same time so much seems to already have happened. My flights were, well, for the most part flights. I hastily boarded my flight from PDX to LAX at 5:45pm, two hours later I was in L.A. After bumming around for 3 hours watching Stargate and eating I made my way to my flight to Miami, possibly the most disorienting flight ever. I know I slept, but I am not sure how much like how it went by quickly but at the same time I was so uncomfortable at times ten minutes seemed like an hour. Arriving in Miami in the morning was cool, with only a few hours of sleep under my belt I looked around for the closest sign of coffee and sustenance. This came in the form of a Beanerie (thought nothing like those of my little college town), after miscommunication over what a Mexican mocha was I ended up spending $10 on some sort of caffeinated mocha and a sausage, egg, and cheese (the same type sold at Circle-K). I then realized that the Internet here at Miami International Airport (MIA) was NOT FREE. Not cool. Bro. I gave up on the wonders of the interwebs and made my way through my terminal, out of TSA and into the main area of MIA. I then had a beautiful revelation that the sun was in fact out, and shinning, and that Miami was a wondrous 72 degrees. I felt like I hadn't seen the sun in months and relished int he opportunity to walk across the entire airport outside in it. I took the time to call all of my family members (mother, brothers, and sisters) one last time before leaving to Ecuador. After many half-hour long conversations and goodbyes I went back in MIA to charge my phone and with my extra time start a movie. Around 12:30 I decided to go back through TSA and into my new terminal where I would cat LanEcuador flight XL 517. Being the good American I am I stopped at the airport Mcdonalds and had my fill of grease and fat. At 2:55 my flight began boarding. At about 3:40 we took off, I was finally on my way to Ecuador. Yet again I fell asleep instantly but woke up in time for dinner. International flights are the shit. While I meant to ask for ravioli and ended up with rice and beef, I was offered soda, wine, whisky, and beer, declining all but the foremost. Along with my rice and beef I was served a roll and cheesecake (that's right, dessert). After many failed attempts to go back to sleep and dinner warm in my belly I turned on my headrest TV with offered hundreds of movies, games, and TV shows. After Elysium ended I patiently waited to land.

Arriving in Quito was unreal. For the first time in my life I was a minority language speaker, and most people were not English fluent (not even many of the flight staff, hence my lack of ravioli). I made my way to customs and was pointed to the "foreigners" line. After a five minute wait I was welcomed to Ecuador (in English) and began my search for my bag and program meeting spot. I found the first quickly, only to leave customs and see not a single person carrying an SIT Ecuador sign or beckoning to all the gringos to come talk to them. Convinced I had read something wrong I ran to the nearest Internet cafe (about 10ft away) and in my extremely broken Spanish got onto a computer and my gmail and reread one of the last emails I was sent. I confirmed that I was right and headed back outside customs where I found my group and met Matt, a junior Philosophy major at Pomona college and Fabian Espinola, program director. After assembling our group we shuffled towards a taxi, where to my surprise I learned my next three days would be a a Hostel outside the city in a town called Tababela (still strunggling to write and say that).  The hostel is nothing like I had expected, I have somewhat of a suit with two other guys (Max and Ryan). I has a huge door for cars and a smaller for persons, and is reminiscent of a combination of old western-moive style pueblos with a distinctly South American flair. Basically it's paradise. We ate dinner and talked until late in the night, waiting for as many stragglers as we could before travel exhaustion set in. We all went to sleep.

Up at 7:30am and determined to shower (I had logged 23 hours in airports plus however much time the night before and sleep, showerless). The water was cold. And I don't mean, "Oh I should hurry up this is cold," cold. I'm talking, "WASH ONLY ONE BODY PART AT A TIME," cold. Ryan and I in stalls next to each other exchanged techniques. After a shocking wake up shower we headed to breakfast where we were served bananas, fresh juice (super fresh), eggs, and toast. After breakfast we oriented some more with Fabian, our program director and the assistant program director (still haven't caught her name). We did a presentation on health (2/3 of which was diarrhea) then after a break ate lunch. After lunch we were given our first assignment. We were split into groups and had to find a building in town. My group and I found very quickly the "tienda de aborrates" aka grocery store. We then made our way down through Tababela we found the rest of our program members involved in a pick up game of soccer with some local kids on their lunch break. Somehow we managed to win 10-7 in 3V3 with one substitute each (granted they were maybe 12). Later we returned to the hostel and debriefed with Fabian. After another break with took us into the hostel's pool for some fun we reconviened for a quick Salsa lesson. Not gonna lie here, I was feelin the Salsa. Our instructor spoke in mostly Spanish, but even from my loose grasp on his words I could see the passion he had. While this may bring to mind a flamboyant Latino man with a black half-unbottoned dress shirt and cold chain, he was anything but. He spoke of it much like the author of a book I was recently reading spoke of Tai Chi. It surprised me how I could see the connection between the two, the centered core the deliberate and concise movements, but mostly moving through feeling your inner energy inspired in part by the music in the background. My pareja and I killed it! She was very much into as I was so we spent a good amount of time perfecting our steps and trying to impress the instructor. From what I've gathered from the other guys they are interested in a salsa night when we get to Quito, and I'm pretty stoked. After salsa was dinner, a little bit of card playing accompanied by beer purchased from town and I am calling it a night.

I wanted to touch on the title before I sign off. It is a bit out of place but I wanted to have it preserved early on. Our director Fabian is an amazingly wise man. He understands the function of the program really well and knows how to push us in the right ways. I'm confident this program is going to be great if only for the fact that he is guiding its implementation. Fabian said this in the midst of our discussion on the purpose of the program, and I immediately wrote it down. I'm excited to see what the rest of the week brings. If you read this far congratulations! If you skipped the middle I completely understand, because I've done the same on many other blogs. I am also gonna throw a disclaimer out there I am soo incredibly exhausted right now so I apologize for my terrible grammar and spelling. 'Til next time!