Jitters...

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So. The 'countdown to Quito' has officially transformed into a countdown of hours rather than days. As of right now, I've got a measly 26 hours before I need to be in the car heading for the airport.

So I'm now starting to realize that up until this point, I've done a really good job of failing to acknowledge the fact that I'll be away from everything I've known to be comfortable and familiar for an entire year. Well, now that it's dark and I'm alone in the house, that 'sinking/what the hell am I doing/am I really ready for this' feeling has reared its ugly head. Ugh.

In the past, I've found that list making totally doubles as an effective therapuetic tool... ahahah that's probably crap, but as some of you know... I just like making lists 😊 So, to get this blog REALLY started, I think a good list making party is in order 😉 So here we go:

Things I will miss while in Quito:

1) The familiarity of home
2) The clean air
3) The night sky in northern MN
4) Grandma's house (the conversation, the food, the love)
5) The lake (even though this summer proved to be pretty much incapable of producing a sunny day...)
6) Feeling comfortable
7) Kitty Darkside, Kitty Maya, and Penukey 😊 Although I will not miss being covered in Kitty Darkside's white fur...
8) Not HAVING to keep my cell phone on me 😉
9) Driving
10) Feeling safe and in control
11) AND (of course) the sweet people that are my friends and family 😊


Ok... So I'm all about seeing the positive side of things. So now onto the 'Things I am excited for!' list:

1) Speaking Spanish
2) Dancing!
3) Trying something new (aka fishing for and eating piranah in the Amazon rainforest)
4) Surprisingly, after my sweet experience at Boys and Girls Club this summer, working with kids! (Go ahead, pick your jaws up off the floor... I'm not lying 😉
5) Really getting to experience a new culture
6) Putting "finding balance and mindfullness" at the top of my 'to-work-on' list (somehow this always seems easier when you're making some sort of transition in life...)
7) Eating all of the crazy foods that Andrew Zimmern (of Bizzare Foods) ate in Ecuador 😉 I'm even down for the wacko medicine man stuff... muahahah!
8) Laughing at myself while I try to run (or even function) in Quito's crazy elevation.
9) Eating mangos. Every. Single. Day. 😊
10) Establishing new relationships with the community and fellow volunteers
11) Being able to check "volunteer and live in another country" off my giant - Bizzillion Things To Do Before I Die - list 😊
12) AND (of course) volunteering. This is just something that I feel I need to do. I've had such a fantastic life so far; it's time to do some serious giving back 😊

Ok. So now that I can cross off "update blog" from my dwindling (THANK GOD) list of things to do... it's time for bed 😊 Thanks for putting up with my oober boring blog. Things will get more interesting. I promise... (ahahah otherwise I'll just start making stuff up!)

ALSO! Feel free to comment or contact me through email ([e-mail]) ! I'd love to hear about what you're up to and any tips or bits of wisdom you may have to offer 😊

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[TARZAN]

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Hope ull have a great time here in Ecuador, if u have time visit us: http://www.pandevida.ec/