A Few Firsts

The past couple days have been full of "firsts," meaning things I have done for the first time here in Ecuador. Ate my first Ecuadorian meal, took my first Ecuadorian shower, squashed my first Ecuadorian bug.

One thing I will say, Peace Corps is definitely gung ho about their training. Today we did everything from immunizations to dealing with host families who try too hard to fatten us up (the concept of beauty is a little different here, and apparently gringos can be considered too thin). And according to the medical kits they gave us, I can expect to get athlete´s foot, diarrhea, and a hideous sunburn at some point during my service. I will try to be discrete and not mention these ailments when they do occur, dear readers. But I must at least mention them here so that you understand the sacrifices I make in the name of representing peace and justice in the world...

This weekend we will bus out to Cayambe, just north of Quito, and meet our host families. These will be the people we live with for the next 9 weeks. Wish me luck!