I can’t believe that I have been here for 6 days. It feels like I’ve been here forever! I am ridiculously busy. Each day from 9 until 6, I am attending WorldTeach seminars about everything from TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) to Culture Shock to Staying Safe in Ecuador (which was given by a guy that everyone called Jack Bauer). The seminars are all run by really awesome and experienced people and I’m learning a lot.

A normal day for my month of orientation means waking up at 7:00, eating breakfast by 7:40, and catching the bus for my hour-long bus ride to our meeting place at 8am. From 9 until 12 we have WorldTeach seminars, from 12:30 until 1:30 I have Spanish class, then lunch, and from 3 until 6 I have more WorldTeach seminars. Then I either head home after another 1.5 hour bus ride or hang out for a while with people from WT and then head home. When I get home, I am attacked by my little ‘brothers’ and play with them for about 45 minutes, eat dinner, and hang out with my host mom. Around 9:30, I head to bed so I can start the whole day over again. Crazy schedule, right?

Just because I’m busy with seminars doesn’t mean I’m bored. Yesterday, after our Staying Healthy in Ecuador seminar, we played Jeopardy where the titles included ‘Poop’ and ‘Puke and Piss’. Hilarious! Today I did get to see quite a bit of the city since WorldTeach organized ‘The Amazing Race – Quito”. We were split into teams and given clues that took us all over Quito. It was a blast! My feet hurt and we all breathed in SO MUCH POLLUTION that we were all coughing as we ran, literally, around Quito. But other than that – it was a total blast! The WorldTeach people with whom I am working are really fabulous people.

I am really enjoying this time. One thing I am sad about is that I haven’t run since I got here but I hope  to change this once this crazy September schedule is complete. Starting in October, I will be teaching four hours a day and will have lots of time to run, take salsa lessons, and do whatever else I would like to do! So far, this is a fabulous experience. Who knows what is in store!