It's been a week.

I cannot emphasize enough how completely overwhelmed and terrified I've been at times...and at others completely happy.  Coming to a new place is one thing, but coming with the intent of living there, another.  A teacher at the school the kids will be attending and that I will be volunteering in met us at the airport...it was just us...because our suitcases were still back in Seattle.  Luckily, we packed extra underwear...and our toothbrushes. Once again, I though I spoke enough Spanish to get by until I was standing at the carousel with two exhausted kids and a shrinking supply of our potential luggage.  In order to tell the person who was meeting us at the airport about our situation, I had to describe my situation to the customs agents who, living in Ecuador's heart, spoke no English.  I buggered out a few verbs:  Tener, Esperar and Neccitar that seemed to do the trick and we were allowed to find our ride and return to the counter in order to secure the arrival of our luggage. 

Driving from the airport to our new part of the world, Conocota was a mixture of awe and fear.  First of all, there don't seem to be many seatbelts...and plenty of need for them.  The roads aren't marked well and turn and churn through roundabouts that put any city I've visited to shame.  Frankly, I'm sitting here with pretty much no clue where I am.  With the help of the woman who met us and her family...all who I count as my lifelong friends, I've learned how to call a taxi, ride a city bus...sometimes while standing on a speeding and lurching ship full of people on their way to school, work and home, shop for food, find empanadas (where have they been all my life?) among so many things I can't even begin to name them!  I found peanut butter costs $10.00 and rice is almost free...We've tried food we would never had even looked at as an option because we are so hungry at times....papaya is pretty good even though it smells like it shouldn't be.

Our first day of school was today.  I cannot even begin to explain how completely beautiful each of the students and teachers who have found themselves in this school are.  I found myself closing my eyes in an attempt to capture how complete their lives make me feel inside.   Jack's face glowed as new friends and teachers greeted him with the usual hug and kiss and Olivia amazes me with her ability to connect with the children in her class.  It's good to be here in this time and place.  Estoy Feliz.

Oh...and yesterday a taxi driver said I spoke Spanish pretty well.  Bring on the missing luggage. ;)