First off, let's catch up: Where's Whitney?
Alright, so time to get back into the blogging groove o' things, ey?... This is going to be a fairly disheveled mash of info and observations here - there's a lot to say, and no organized way to do so.
Well, the years have passed since my last round of international adventures, and now I'm out again, in a whole new part of the world - Latin America! It has been my destination for some time now, and I have finally managed to make it happen. I have found a beautiful opportunity in which I can combine travel with work experience. I am currently in Quito, Ecuador, assisting a Marine Ecology masters student with his field work (out on the coast).
So I will be spending one week of every month splashing around tide-pools and collecting data, and the other three weeks of the month will be spent in a nice suburb outside of Quito. I have yet to find out what the three weeks will be filled with, but right now it's looking like: some analysis/ processing of the field data, playing with the university women's soccer team (sports are not so much a women's thing here, I'll just say that), taking Spanish classes at the university (I have some learning to do!), and hopefully visiting nearby mountains, hiking around the highlands.
So since I have no way of organizing my thoughts, let's just do the good ol' bullet-point string of thought!
- Quito is high elevation - about 9,350ft. The air is thin, but fortunately I haven't really had much of a problem adjusting.
- It's sunny here. A lot. It's pretty much like a California summer all the time. At least that's how it is in Cumbaya, the suburb I live in, which is 400m lower (about 1300') than Quito, and supposedly much better weather than Quito itself.
- I live with the masters student I am working for, his wife, and his wife's brother. I have my own room in a comfortable house in a good neigborhood, 10 minutes walking distance from the Universidad de San Francisco.
- The air smells like flowers and cut grass around here. Would prolly be a different story if I were in Quito.
- I've been very tired at the end of every day. New culture, trying to learn/absorb a new language, altitude, sunshine... leaves me pooped early and keeps me sleeping long! Also... haven't gotten into a regular eating schedule/ diet, so that likely plays a part as well.
All in all, life is still rockin'. And my blogs should get more inspired as I get back into the rhythm of it and don't feel so tired.
Posted by Whitney 01/13/2011, revised 01/14/2011 by Whitney