spanish? pshhh. who needs spanish?

so here's my first attempt at starting a blog... and to be completely honest, it feels a little narcissistic to think that anyone would actually care to read about my adventures in ecuador this summer. but... then i decided that everyone could use an additional procrastination technique in life... so why not?

anyways. right now i'm still in good old indiana, so no exciting adventures to report as of yet. (unless you consider driving through tennessee, kentucky and indiana an "adventure" which i suppose on most days it could be labeled as such...) some of you know a little bit about my random decision to travel to ecuador this summer... but for those who do not, here's the short version:

1. i applied to a lot of research internships at a lot of formidable medical schools.
2. i decided (in a mid-cell biology lecture, post-spring break service trip, "oh my god what am i doing with my life?!?!" breakdown) that sitting in a research lab in front of a computer lab all summer is just not my cup of tea. i need people. action. excitement. hands-on stuff. (call it a personality flaw if you must.)
3. found this program through my friend, lauren...
4. applied.
5. booked the tickets.
6. and realized that i don't speak spanish.

ok. so maybe the sequence of events was slightly different than those listed, but you get the point. the bottom line is that i finally felt pulled to do something specific with my life. i'm excited and passionate about service... and international health... and all things roughing it. which is why i'm doing this. (i think my parents think i'm crazy, but sometimes i think they are crazy too. so i guess we can call it even.)

i'll be staying in quito, the captial of ecuador, for four weeks. i am living in a homestay with a family and taking an intensive immersion spanish course for about 5 hours a day... and discovering life in quito on the side. in the first week of july, i'm travelling to ibarra, where i'll be staying in another homestay and volunteering at a hospital in town for the next five weeks. i'll hopefully be doing basic triage work... seeing some pretty sweet stuff... and loving it. (my goal: be able to suture, i.e. do stiches, by the time i come back.) there are some other random americans scattered throughout ecuador this summer (some from vanderbilt), and i'm hoping to meet up with them on the weekends to do some traveling and exploring. all in all, i'm stoked.

sarah's goals for the summer:
1. learn to suture
2. finish the AMCAS (med school application) so she can sweet talk her way in...
3. look up MCAT results online to find that i passed with flying colors (fingers crossed)
4. learn to speak spanish
5. in the event that #5 does not work out... learn how to order food in spanish
6. take some sweet pictures
7. survive massive culture shock
8. run consistently (no one in ecuador exercises...)
9. figure out if international medicine is my passion
10. climb a frickin' sweet tree in the rain forest

i am leaving this thursday (June 5th) from DC at the ripe hour of 6:45 am... until then. making lists. last minute shopping. and the dreaded packing. hope your summers are going well. keep in touch. emails are ALWAYS appreciated.

besos,
sarah elizabeth