Ready for takeoff...

It's hard to believe, but the time to depart for Ecuador has arrived. My bags are STUFFED and I'm ready...I think. Other than a few packing freak outs (and the occasional moments of what am I thinking?!), I'm feeling surprisingly calm for the most part. I'm definitely feeling less nervous than I have been for my previous travels. I hope my family and friends can attest to that. :) I feel as though all of my previous experiences have prepared me for this. I'm ready for a new adventure. I'm definitely a little terrified, but excited more than anything.

Whenever I think of the little things I will miss (driving and singing in my car, spending the holidays with my family, etc.) I can't overlook the new experiences I will have and the opportunities I will encounter. I love to collect quotes and I've found a few good ones when it comes to stepping outside of our comfort zone. One from Abraham Maslow I especially liked: "One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again." Whenever I doubt this big leap, I remind myself of all the reasons I decided to teach abroad this year. Ecuador hadn't been on my radar until just a few months ago. This past year allowed me the opportunity to take some time to figure out what I wanted to do next. I have the travel bug - does that ever go away? - so I thought teaching English in a Spanish speaking country sounded good to me. This year has also allowed me to get some great English as a Second Language experience. It's funny how things seem to fall into place and that's often only seen upon looking back.

Going into this, I have no idea what to expect and I'm okay with that. I'm just trying to go into it with an open mind, ready to embrace the new and different. Sometimes I catch myself trying to plan for the future or worrying about the what-ifs, but I know that it can be best to just take it one day at a time, one step at a time. This year will definitely be about going with the flow.

I will be in Quito for a month of training and then will be off to my placement site for the rest of the time. I will try to keep this updated every so often and will hopefully post pictures as well. I leave you with this quote that I found upon deciding to go to Ecuador that I thought was very appropriate at the time. Hasta luego amigos!

"Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience." - Paulo Coelho