Everyone has been asking me if I'm homesick yet. And I don't know that I am. I've had moments where I miss the ordinary. I miss understanding my teachers and learning the traditional way in a classroom. I miss baseball and cross country practice and my family. I've had days where all I want to do is sit at home and eat my limited supply of peanut butter with a spoon. Well, actually, I have only had one of those days. Here I'm surrounded by people I love and that's what matters. I don't want to waste a second wallowing in self pity. This is my choice, and I am going to take advantage of every last moment. So am I homesick? No, not quite yet. I'll just keep on living day by day enjoying the moment and the last of my peanut butter M&M's.
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This past week, I was at a beautiful resort with 70 other inbound students. We were all there officially to learn the language, but we learned so much more! I made friends from Brasil, France, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Venezuela, Taiwan, Austria, and so many more countries. I learned more Spanish, but I also picked up a few words of Portuguese, French, and German. There are so many pictures that I should put up here, but I don't want to overwhelm you. Therefore friend me on Facebook (Abbie Skorzewski) and you can see all of them! This week was full of new and crazy. For example, I played an intense game of jumbo chess with a new German friend while a Frenchman, who I didn't know at the time, "broadcasted" the game for all the nonexistent spectators. I also went on a Catamaran ride for the first time with French and Brazilian friends. built a house of pillows (like a house of cards only with pillows) with a Canadian friend and my Danish roommate. And of course, I took selfies with a Venezuelan, German, Canadian, and a lot of other people from a lot of other countries. I also witnessed a very patriotic Canadian get the Canadian flag painted on his stomach with red lipstick. You just never know what will happen when you mix cultures from all over the world! It was a fantastic week, and every last second was a totally new adventure full of surprise and crazy. I absolutely loved it!
Being an exchange student means I have chosen to give up some experiences, big ones like Senior Prom and American Graduation, little ones like dinner with my family and sleepovers with pounds of gummy worms, and every moment in between. However, it's worth it! I now have two astounding families in two incredible countries. I have friends in two very different cultures. But because of this, I am learning to adapt, deal with my awkwardness in the least awkward way possible, and I'm learning how to dance (kinda sorta). Day by day, I experience something brand new and meet so many kind people. The homesickness and cravings for peanut butter are just a just a small fraction of what I feel here. My friends here include me in everything, and they speak very slowly and with very small words so that I can understand. They make fun of my horrible grammar and always ask how I'm doing. They are so sweet and so patient. As for my family here, they are the best family I could have gotten. Without a doubt. From my big brother Fabian always singing the same song at dinner to my sister explaining why our parents are laughing so hard, I could not have dreamed of a better host family! In the words of my papá, they are my family for they rest of the year and the rest of my life. So although I'll be missing Senior Prom in American, they have that here in Ecuador. As for American Graduation, eh Ecuadorian Graduation is probably more fun anyway. So, I'll just continue loving Ecuador, grateful for my new family and friends.
So last night was a first. It was the first night that I have cried since coming to Ecuador. Last night was the final goodbye between my host brother, Santi, and all his friends. He had about fifteen of his closest friends over, and everyone just sat around and talked. But the inevitable eventually came, and one by one, Santi said goodbye to his friends. When everyone had left, it was just the four of us kids in the kitchen, Ari, Santi, Fabian, and me. That was when the tears started to come. Once Santi started to cry, I could no longer hold back the tears. It was hard saying good bye to my friends, and it was hard saying goodbye to my family. But now, it's incredibly difficult to watch as Santi has to do the same. I can't stand watching other people suffer especially when they are part of my family. Last night, I sat on my bed and cried. I cried because Santi was leaving; I cried because my family is hurting, and I just missed my American family. At school, in one of the classroom's there is a quote that says, "Perhaps our eyes need to be washed by our tears once in a while, so that we can see life with a clearer view." And my eyes were throughly cleaned. And as I sat with tears streaming down my face, earbuds blaring with my Jesus music, I knew that I would be ok. God is right here walking with me everyday. He gives me more than I can handle so that I lean more on Him. And last night, I felt closer to my Savior than I ever could have in my own culture. It is what makes all this worth it. This everyday struggle has only brought me closer to my Savior. What more could I ever ask for?
So my family has a farm about fifteen minutes from our house, and my papá asked if I wanted to spend Saturday night there. Therefor, I spent Saturday afternoon to Sunday night at the farm with my papá, tía, and abuela. I took a lovely walk down by the river, where I took some really cool pictures; I also learned that my family loves card games. I learned how to play three different games this weekend, and I even won one or two games. For dinner, we had rice (as always), corn in eggs, and chicken wings. I quickly learned however that here, they eat chicken wings with a fork! Traditional chicken wings! With a fork! Have you ever tried eating chicken wings with a fork? It's incredibly difficult. I also milked a cow for the first time. That was quite the experience. You just never know what kind of adventures will happen at the farm.Today was wonderful! My family and I slept in until noon, which here, really isn't sleeping in. Regardless, we spent the day at my abuela's house, this is my mamá's mom. At around 6:00, we left, and as normal, I had no idea where we were going. My mamá drove through the mountains as I gaped at the breathtaking views. When we arrived at the family's farm, I was overwhelmed. It is so gorgeous! The house is astonishing! I took lots of pictures so that y'all can share in my amazement. The part that I couldn't take pictures of was outside. It was too dark by the time we got there for pictures, but next time, I'll take plenty. Outside is so beautiful! There is a river that runs behind the house with a little path that runs right next to it. My tía, on my papá's side, also has an exchange student named Stephanie. She's my Austrian. We explored the little path as much as we could in the dark, and as we were walking, I ran into a cow. It happens. But at dinner, I understood what was being said, the jokes, the debate, all of it. That feeling of satisfaction cannot be explained. But the feeling that surpassed that, was the feeling that I belong here. Up until now, I have known that I belong here, but tonight I felt it. I could understand. Let's just hope that understanding lasts for school tomorrow. Inside of me, I can begin to feel the conflict. I'm becoming accustomed to this culture, and thereof losing a bit of my American culture. I have always been proud of being American, because that is what I am, but now, day by day, I am becoming Ecuadorian too. And the balance between the two is going to be hard to find. When my sister and I are hanging out with friends and everyone is singing a song I don't know, I begin to feel part of me pull away. This isn't normal. But the other part of me just marvels at the fact that soon, I'll be joining in. This weekend has been full of understanding which is just what I was hoping for. So I just want to explain this real quick. My mom and my dad are in America, and my mamá and my papá are in Ecuador.
Singing We Are the World with my host mom in the grocery store. 25-8-14
When I asked my host dad if they would be my family all year, and he responded without hesitation, "For the rest of the year, and the rest of your life." 24-8-14 Seeing the Andes in person for the first time. 28-8-14 Getting flipped off by a frustrated small child trying to learn the English numbers. 2-9-14 Coming home from the family farm and seeing 12 horses walk right by us on the road. 7-9-14 Walking into class late, and the teacher says, "Girls, I expect you to be on time." I answered, "Sorry. WAIT A SECOND! You just spoke English!" Everyone in the class laughed. 2-9-14 This morning I received a really nice email from the Rotary Youth Exchange Chair, Ernie. He told in this email to make sure that I note what details I never want to forget, because otherwise they will slip away. So all posts in this category will be short and to the point, but they will be among my most treasured memories.
So today was the first day of school. Wow is it different! For my grade, there are three courses of study: physics, chemistry, and social. Due to my bitter hatred toward chemistry and my lack of love for math, I chose social. Little did I know that social is the loudest proudest group in the school. I chose well. In social, I will study philosophy, literature, English, physiology (this class in in English too), and gym. There are actually 10-12 subjects that I will take this year, I just can't remember them all right now. :) School here is so different. I am attending an all female Catholic high school. I have 41 students in my class, and we stay in the same classroom for the whole day. Also, the school does not provide the textbooks. You have to go out and find them and buy them yourself. Furthermore, my school has uniforms. There are no boys at my school. But none the less, my uniform consists of penny loafers with tall navy blue socks that go up to my knees, a skirt that goes down to my calf, a burgundy turtle neck, and a navy sweater. A few of the other girls have already asked if I can help them in physiology because I can speak English. I could understand about half of what the teacher said at the start of each class, but toward the end the teacher spoke too fast. One thing that was challenging for me today was watching as friends were reunited after a summer apart. Watching them run to their friends and give them a bear hug that almost knocks the other to the ground it was heart wrenching for me. Just a reminder that two weeks ago, that's what my American friends did, reunited after a summer apart. So to my friends at FVL this year, I miss you all, and I'm thinking about y'all. I hope school goes well for you, and that you love your senior year as much as I love mine. Would you believe me if I told you school was not the hardest part of today? It wasn't. My host dad's sister runs an after school tutoring program at a preschool not 500 yards from my house. So when my host dad asked if I wanted to walk over there and help some kids learn English, I was thrilled. Little did I know that he had asked my tía to help tutor me in Spanish. So there I sat, in preschool, reading a picture book that every other person in the room could read in two minutes. No, the hardest part of today, was swallowing my pride, and surprising my growing frustration, and learning the way every other preschooler does. So there I sat at the preschool table, in those itty bitty chairs, reading a book about Bruce, El Maquinista. ( Bruce, The Train Conductor) Chooo Chooo. But in all honesty, I can tell that going there four times a week will drastically improve my Spanish. It will help me achieve my goal of becoming fluent in the next six weeks, and I do get to volunteer and help kids ( ages 8-10) learn some English. Today was a big step for me, starting school and taking Spanish lessons, so now, as I sit in the comfort of my room, I will allow myself to have four of my precious peanut butter M&M's, and I'll consider this a day well done. |
AuthorI love Jesus, my family and baseball. Without my Savior I know I would defiantly not be the person I am today, and the same can be said about my family. My family is always there for me, and we all love three things for sure, Jesus, baseball, and each other. Categories
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