FINALLY! Look at some pictures!

Friday, August 6, 2010

"It's 61 pounds." Shoooooot.

So sorry for not posting for so long! First, I am finally back in the United States (and realizing more every day how much I LOVE America!!). This post, however, is dedicated to my final days in Ecuador.

The day that I went to the zoo, I found out that, SURPRISE!, I had strep throat. Great. I'm pretty sure that it was from climbing Cotopaxi, but whatever, I climbed a mountain. I got a prescription from the school doctor, and went on my way. Two days later, I went back. Surprise again! A sinus infection!! I was NOT happy about it, but I was also not about to let my dumb, uncooperative immune system ruin my final days in Ecuador. So, I went to the beach. Smooooooooooooooth. The weather was horrible, and I slept on some couch cushions.

My favorite part of the beach was being able to see WHALES. It's mating season right now, so the whales apparently like to put on a show, and they kept coming up to breathe and stuff. I saw a couple of tails, but oh MAN it was awesome. I was so happy riding that boat and seeing all of the whales. I stayed at the beach until Monday afternoon, and finally got back to Quito Monday night.

My last week of summer school was just as boring as the other weeks. Those poor kids didn't learn any English besides duck and goose (duck, duck, goose anyone?). Our last field trip was to what I would describe as a fish farm. There were a bunch holes dug in the ground with fish in them. Boring. The kids loved it. At the end of the "tour" the kids were able to put their feet in one of the ponds. Full of fish. And the fish nibbled at your toes. SICK. I was NOT going to do it. Until the other teachers did it. Then I had to do it too. I was NOT thrilled, obviously. It felt disgusting.



During the week, at night I went and had dinner with the new friends that I kept on making. It was wonderful and stupid at the same time, because I was not getting better. Like, REALLY not getting better. I felt bad for the people around me, because I was hacking away all the time, but I kept saying, "I will NOT let my immune system ruin my final days in Ecuador!!" What a bittersweet time though, because here I am having SUCH a wonderful time with my friends and getting to know them so much better, and oh NO I have to leave?! So bittersweet.

The last week that I was in Quito, my friend Bibi moved into my house because he was homeless. I forgot how much I love living with other people!! It was SO fun with him there, and my house felt so much more HOMEY. I LOVED IT. And then, 6 days before my departure to the US, MICHELLE WEBB (one of my good friends from Madison) came to Quito! Michelle and her friend Annie were traveling through Ecuador, so I invited them to stay in my house in between trips while in Quito.

The last weekend in Ecuador (literally, 23483297 times a day, I was thinking, "Oh my GOD I only have x many days left! X many hours left!!"), Michelle, Annie, and I went to a little place called Papallacta. A SPA. HOW AMAZING. It had natural hot springs, and we decided to stay the night. I got a SUPER cheap facial (I need to stop spoiling myself), and it was the PERFECT ending to my trip. I was more relaxed than I think I've EVER been in my life. It was kiiiiiiiiind of a downer that I was still hacking up my lungs and blowing my nose every 8 seconds, but the spa treatment DEFINITELY helped :)

When we got back from Papallacta, I had to finish packing. Oh.MY.GOOOOOOOOOOOOD. The more I emptied out my drawers/cabinets/ANYTHING, the more I started to SWEAT. HOW was I going to fit all of this in TWO suitcases????? Well. Good news. I DID IT. And it was HARD.

My last night in Quito, I went to dinner with all of my best friends. It was SO hard saying bye to everyone. YES I cried (I'm my mother's daughter and my sisters' sister). It's funny how I romanticize my entire trip when I'm leaving. There were a couple of times where I was ready to hop on the next airplane to O'Hare. But in the end, what an AMAZING experience.

I got to the airport safely (thanks to Diego and his wife), and LUGGED my suitcases to the check-in counter. I was DREADING seeing the weight on those suckers. And then, I had this conversation:

Lady: Mmmmmhmmmmmm, this one is 61 pounds.
Sara: My mom is going to kill me.
Lady: Well, weigh the other one.
*Sara weighs second suitcase* - 42 pounds
Lady: Well, you can move some stuff around...
Sara: No, I REALLY don't want to open them.
Lady: ... It's going to be 56 dollars.
Sara: I'll just pay.
Lady: You really can move things around.
Sara: No, I don't think you realize what I went through to shut these.
Lady: You're SURE?
*Sara smacks credit card on the counter*
Sara: REALLY just let me PAY. I WANT to PAY.

So I paid.

My flights went well. On the flight to Miami, I kept on getting all teared up because I was so sad about leaving my new friends behind. And then I kept getting teared up because I thought my head would EXPLODE. Congestion? Flying? BAD COMBINATION. In Miami, I had a heart attack and was sweating disgustingly because I was going to miss my flight. Here I am SO close to being home, and I'm going to miss my flight. Great. But, thanks to my main Google man, Peter (I LOVE BEING ABLE TO CALL WHOMEVER I WANT WHENEVER I WANT), SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!! My flight got changed. So I got home with not other problems, besides the popcorn that was popping IN MY EARS the entire flight. I was SO happy to see my Mom, Jenna ("I was going to make you a sign! ... But then I took a nap" Thanks, Jen!), Taylor, and Laura. I gave them my suitcases. I got in the car. And I went HOME. Mohawk Road, I missed you more than I thought I did.

Until next time,
Sara, the truly all-American girl.