It was so weird to stand in the Texas airport and be surrounded by English speakers. I was standing in the line for panda express and just smiled. It felt so good but just so different. I was so excited that I turned to the man standing behind me in line and told him how excited I was to be speaking English. How embarrassing.

My parents and fiance were there when I arrived. It was so good to see there faces! It was also strange for the other WOU people to go to their families and realize we were no longer a group anymore. As we all stood with our families and waited for our bags, I suddenly felt so separated from the people I had been so close to for so many weeks. Switching back to normal felt so different and not normal. It was so good though.

My experience in Mexico was so huge and I did so many things that even now when people ask me how it was or what I did the most I can get out is that I studied Spanish and Education and stayed with a host family. There is so much to say that I just don’t know where to start. That is why I want to make a good old traditional scrapbook of Mexico and my other trips this summer. That way I can show what I did and kind of reflect on what I learned.
Sarah was definitely right about the carpet. All the homes and other buildings in Mexico were lined with tile, linoleum, or granite on the floors and sometimes walls too. It is so different to be in rooms with carpet and long, thick curtains. Noise doesn’t echo as much.

I really miss Spanish. I hadn’t spoken it since I came home from Mexico until this week (3 weeks). Two of my coworkers are native Spanish speakers and when I went back to work this week I got to speak. It was great to realize that I still have it. I was so worried I would loose my Spanish vocabulary. It was also really nice to see how impressed they were at how much my Spanish grew. One friend is from Mexico City, where I visited for a weekend, so it was nice to talk to him about it and remember my trip.

It’s officially less than a month away! It’s hard to explain all the emotions running through me as I try to prepare for not only my first experience abroad, but also my first experience traveling by myself. I’m most of all excited, but get waves of anxiousness and fear, which is to be expected I guess.

I have had little interaction with Latin American customs and culture in my life, so I have very little knowledge on what to expect when entering Quito for the first time. I imagine it to be breath taking (literally, at 9500 sq ft). I’ve been told it’s colder than what you’d imagine, and relatively conservative compared to the culture on the coastal side of Ecuador. Everyone I talk to tells me to expect overwhelming kindness and interest in my arrival from the locals. I’ve also been warned about the lack of the concept of personal space– apparently in America we have odd social rules on space and touching to the majority of the world. I’ve heard it’s not uncommon for people to stroke your hair or have a hand on your shoulder while talking to you, even if they’re practically strangers. All these differences make me excited to actually live them in the moment for the first time. I’m already laughing at the shock I’ll inevitably feel the majority of the time. It will be humbling I’m sure.

I hope that after I acclimate to the climate, altitude, people, and culture, I’ll be able to fully participate in every-day Ecuadorian life. I want to completely take on the culture I’m living in — Everything from taking an afternoon break to eat an insanely large lunch while socializing with family, to celebrating El Dia De Los Muertos, to speaking in Spanish with the locals with ease. I’m also excited to do some exploring. I can’t wait to see the beautiful cathedrals, Inca cites, and natural wonders like the Cotopaxi volcano that just erupted.

I guess in a little over a month from now I’ll be able to tell you if those are realistic expectations or not. I guess while I’m anxiously awaiting my travel date, this will be it for now. I’m sure there will be much more to come once I’ve actually touched down in what I hope will feel like my home away from home.

Finally home and it seems so different from the cool air of London!

The flight was extensively more comfortable then United Airlines. If I had to do it again, which of course I will at some point, I would fly Air Canada again. The screens on the seats were larger, the seats more comfortable, and the food was so very tasty.

Once arriving onto Oregon soil again I noticed many changes without even leaving the airport. I didn’t have to stand off to the side on the escalator because no one was trying to push past me! Many people also walked fairly slow, which was also different then the fast pace of the streets of London. Once stepping outside I noticed a clear weather change, as the hot air was muggy and unpleasant. However the one item that I missed was the CLEAN air!! There was hardly any cigarette smoke and it was lovely. I also miss the food, and how it actually tasted like real food, there are currently certain foods that I will not eat because it is not the same as the food across the pond.

Needless to say I will miss London, and I absolutely intend to go back as soon as possible!!

Week four brought many adventures and different cultural experiences!

While my time in the United Kingdom has shaped many of my opinions of Europe, my experiences in Paris has shed an entirely new light on my views of the surrounding culture. I was able to travel over to Paris for a period of 3 days; it is extensively different than that of England from its people, to food, and even to the types of living quarters. The people in and around Paris are extensively more friendly then the everyday Londoner, by this I mean that the locals actually respond to a hearty hello, or good morning on my part. In addition they also smile, instead of the opposing no smile or attention that you would receive from the people in London. It seems that the people around Paris are on a slower pace than the individuals in London and take the time to see and respond to things around them including my visiting self. Secondly to the people of Paris was their food that accompanied them. They have the most amazing crepes, and I have never tried a savory crepe or any real crepe, it was the most amazing item I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It would be a lie however to say that all of their food choices were pleasurable to all humans, Paris even with its good food, had an array of odd food items that were different than anything I have experienced or seen in London as well as in the state. For example cooked snail, I personally did not try this dish, however some of the girls that I travelled with had the pleasure of tasting it, as you can imagine it did not go well. The people of Paris seem to be adventurous in the food department and often served items such as snail off their menu. The last cultural item I noted while visiting Paris was the homes in which people lived in. Prior to visiting I had imagined Paris to have tall buildings lined with small outer flower pots lining their windows as I had seen so many times in films. It would please you to know that the films for once were correct in there depiction of what Paris living quarters were like. Immediately after exiting the train I found myself sighting tall buildings with these exact flower pots outside of almost every window, it gave the city an Italian aura and it was absolutely beautiful to witness. This was in high contrast to the sightings of London homes as I had anticipated stone cottages and vast rolling hills, only to find small stone homes (some metal), while most of the city had been modernized.

Although the city was breathtaking in certain areas I was unable to ignore the vile underground transportation system and how vastly different it was In comparison to London’s underground. The halls were filthy, as well as the walk ways and rail lines. It smelled of horrible body odor and many times I saw bodies occupying the empty space to sleep. It was apparent that the culture of Paris does not rely on public transportation as Londoner’s do and therefore the maintenance is slim to none. Overall I would have to say that both Paris and London have unique cultures that are positive in different ways and I am grateful to have been able to experience them both.

In the above image you can see the buildings in which were used as offices in the Ministry of Magic. This particular setting helped me see the amount of extremely fine detail that was put into the making of the films from its adaption of the novels. It went beyond the idea of basic material, and really outlined a 3D model of the imaginations that Rowling was trying to portray in her novels. I was awed mostly by this building because of the grandness it held in terms of size and color. When watching the films I had the impression that the buildings were merely green screen and they did an extremely good job molding it into reality. Obviously upon entering the Harry Potter tour you find that it was a real-life construction that took hours to make and was specially crafted as an effect for the film. Along with this idea that it allowed for furthering imaginations it showed a side to the organization of film making that truly stated the aim of the production. The director and following helpers were trying to create a real tangible world for the Harry Potter series and succeeded immensely.

PS The Harry Potter Tour was amazing!