So, lovely ladies and gentlemen! We have done it! The world will never be the same! There are 7 chiropractors in Ecuador. The closest one is 2 hours away in Manta. My back doesn't hurt for the first time since I got on the plane! It's the best feeling in the world! The trip back put about 3 things back out, but I don't hurt! The guy was a little crazy, but hey, everyone has to be to live in this world. I was kinda taken by surprise when he talked to me in English. Anyway, he did acupuncture, then put the equivalent to biofreeze (which is, like, a million dollars here) on my back, and finally adjusted it. It was so funny because he just kept asking me what I liked done when I get adjusted. I was glad that he took it into consideration that I knew my body better than him.
Now, I must give you fair warning to not read this. However, for future female exchange students, the only bra cup size they have here is B. If you are a B, lucky you. Ecuador is the perfect place! However, if you are not, like me, do yourself a huge favor and buy about 50 bras before you come. Living on 3 has been a pain for me because of how much I sweat due to the heat. It kinda makes me wanna tear up, but I won't. I'm a strong little exchange student.
When they said, "you will gain weight on exchange," they are right! I weighed myself yesterday, and I'm still around the same weight: 140, but I feel fatter in my stomach area. I'm not sure if it's because my clothes are shrinking in the sun, or just because the food is so good here.
Everything here is so cheap! Except for the one thing I am supposed to provide for myself: clothing. Literally, it's nearly double here. I could die for how much I love the clothing, but how little I want to spend for a shirt! In Quito, it's worse, so I guess I could be thankful for that. I usually just steal my sisters clothing when I want to switch it up, or if something is dirty. Thanks Melissa for having one article of clothing for every day of the year!
So, my sister told me to put on this beautiful blue dress that was from a really long time ago (well, not really, but it looks like it). I put it on, because I love the dresses like that, and we went to this place where they were electing "la reina del calle"--the princess of the street. I was entered, and came in either 2nd or 3rd, and poor Melissa who just wanted to go to support a friend was elected la reina!
We finally have working air conditioning in my classroom! When it started blowing, I nearly died of pleasure to not have to go OUTSIDE to COOL DOWN anymore! It makes the killer hot skirts more bearable. Sure, it's not the lovely refreshing feeling of the States air conditioning in the classroom, but boy does it feel good!
I went to RYLA here. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is Rotary Youth Leadership A(word I don't know). Basically, it takes youth (here in Ecuador, it is youth between ages 14 and 30) leaders and puts them all in the same place for a few days and teaches them to be good leaders. So, my back was hurting way too much, so I didn't have the best time, and I didn't sleep much at all, because we were up at 7 and let out at around 12 or 1 each night. I also didn't sleep well on the busses we took. I was on a bus from Chone to Guayaquil, then in the bus station, then from there to Salinas--to a Naval Base. This particular place taught me something: why the armed forces eat so fast. THE FOOD IS HORRIBLE. They had the normal type of food, but it tasted like it was under cooked, or leftovers from last month. I can't even begin to describe the longing for real food I had.
FOR YOU OTHER EXCHANGE STUDENTS READING THIS: Yes, I know there was a paper that said we couldn't go. My mom asked, and the answer was yes we can. The paper was wrong!
I love my family so much, and am so glad I came on exchange. I've had my rough patches, and my awkward moments, but so far, my 5 weeks and 2 days here have been more than I could ask for.
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