*We had no cell service for a large portion of our trip, so I’m uploading all of these in chronological order from the US now that we’re back home! They’re all dated by the day they happened.*
Day 10:
Hola!
The prompt for this blog post asks me to imagine that I have the opportunity to become a full-time resident of Ecuador. Based on our experiences up to this point, I’d definitely want to live in Quito. The food, culture, and atmosphere there appeals to me the most so far. I love that I feel like I’m in a new, unique culture and place without feeling so far from American culture/the cities I’m used to. It’s comforting having convenience stores and hearing English occasionally on the streets. If I were to be living in Ecuador, I’d want to be in Quito long-term because it would make me feel like I’m making the most of the time I have by being close to all of the amazing cultural experiences the country has to offer. We know from experience that we’re a few hours drive away from the Amazon, a desert, the beach, and many rivers. I love that I’d be within reach of so many intriguing natural landscapes.
Living in Quito would give me opportunities to speak English occasionally because of how international of a city it is. However, the majority of the people I’ve spoken to in Quito, including those who work in our first hotel/dorm, don’t speak any English.
Living there long-term, I would want to make sure I’m giving proper time and care to trying all of the staples of Ecuadorian culture. We didn’t have the time or the chance to try some of the stereotypically popular foods in Quito like guinea pig and many insects. If I lived there long-term, I would want to try as many new foods as possible. I’d also want to make sure I’m adapting to the ways of the people who live in Quito. I’m used to driving everywhere in the US, but I’ve seen far fewer cars in Ecuadorian cities than in US cities, so walking will be a common hobby for me.
I mostly just want to ensure that I’m immersing myself and making the most of the time I have in the new place I would be living. For me, that means trying out authentic cultural pieces like food and adapting to the ways of the place. Hopefully, I’d eventually mesh in all of those ways with a close-to-fluent Spanish vocabulary (and passable accent).
Until next time,
Katie Gallo