Liver Deliberately

These last 12 days seem like they just whisked by. I finished the first paper over the course of 6 hours, exhausting but necessary. The rest of the week was pretty smooth, the weekend brought with it more dancing and hanging out with friends. This last week was one of the more stressful ones yet, I had another paper and presentation, plus a final presentation for spanish class, a final exam, another program assignment, and a separate program paper. Amazingly it all got done, although I'm still not sure how. All the work came brought with it a short lived cold, which put a damper on things. The hardest part of the week was finding out one of the gringos would be leaving us. After eight months abroad he had decided it was time to go home. So this post goes out to Max! While we miss you here I'm sure home missed you more. Other than that not much has changed. I've had a bunch of opportunities to play soccer, and was even told I play well for a gingo. My spanish continues to improve with everyday, I'm learning so many new things and have been working hard to incorporate complex grammar into speech; which is insanely hard. Today I leave my host family for a week in the forest with my program. We'll talk with activists and observe nature, then return to Quito on Friday. I'm looking forward to the break from urban life and the opportunities to indulge in both as mnay raw fruits and veggies as I can consume, as well as fresh picked and roasted coffee. We also have a male bonding event planned which consists of smoking Cubans and chilling in nature. Our program director also told me he had put in a special order for a cake on Thursday for an early birthday celebration. I don't know why but being so far from home, knowing somone I've only just met is planing something for my brithday makes me feel even more at ease. Saturday we meet our Quito homestay, and it's my birthday! I guess 21 doesn't mean much here, but for me being in Ecuador is the best birthday present I could have. Anywho, there will be more to come I'm sure after I return from the Cloud Forest, Chiao!