Holy crap, I'm LIVING in the Galapagos Islands!!!

I'm cheating! I'm copying and pasting an email I wrote to my Mom and Jon to post here. I don't have good enough internet to write a real post (and it's starting to get dark). I'll post a real update (maybe even with a pic or two tomorrow, I hope!).


I made it safe and sound and am doing well!!

It's amazing here. The ocean is literally (LITERALLY) across the street from the university. University on one side of the road, beach on the other. *Amazing*. No idea how I'll get work done :)

I've already seen a sea turtle here just casually swimming by and I stuck my feet in the ocean. The sea lions are like dogs are in the US - everywhere! In the water and the beach but also along the streets near the ocean. I literally stood 1-2ft from them many times and got about 3ft from some babies. We also saw black crabs, red crabs, birds, and lizards too. 

It's definitely a small island town. Small grocery store, lower income (though not poor) compared to Cumbaya, and everyone knows everyone (and their brother). 

My host family is interesting. WAY different. She only speaks Spanish so that's a new challenge - zero English so far. I think I also might have a 9pm curfew which will be interesting. Not positive though. I have my own room and we share a bathroom. She has a husband who I met briefly who was nice. She seemed nice also. I think they have a daughter who is studying in Guayaquil but I'm not sure - she's either leaving soon or coming back soon or.... something? Not sure. And another friend of mine I think is living with her sister nearby? 

Everything is very open here. No one locks doors (although my room does have a lock) and the houses and buildings in general have lots of open space/windows/etc. I am currently up on the rooftop (which looks exactly like you'd picture a rooftop in Ecuador to look, I think) standing up holding my computer out for free signal. I can get wireless at the university during the day and I think sometimes connect here. Also, I've shifted an hour back (one hour closer to Jon, one hour further away from Mom). The sun is just setting into the ocean here, a view I can see from the roof. I'm about a block and a half from the ocean so that's amazing. I'll walk to school - it's probably a 10min walk I'd guess (I'll walk everywhere probably, like I said, it's small). 

Overall it's been quite a whirlwind of a day! I honestly really just can't believe I'm actually living in the Galapagos - I never though I'd even visit here, let alone live here. Amazing.