Last of 2009, American style

And so it begins...the crazy preparations for Ecuador. My room is sufficiently messy, I have to-do lists everywhere, and I refuse to legitimately pack my suitcases because that means it's really happening.

I'm doing my best to fit in all my favorite foods before I leave. Today I convinced my dad to get deli sandwiches for lunch, and we will be eating pizza from my favorite place in Huntington for dinner. I need to make another stop at the best cider mill EVER in Jericho to get another delicious Apple Frapple. And of course, I will be stopping at Bagel Boss on the way to the airport for my last delicious New York bagel.

I transferred money at the bank today so I can spend a nice chunk of my savings on exploring Ecuadorian culture for the next few months. I unfortunately missed out on some serious bonding with my SMC crew, as well as with my Mercy girls. Too bad I have to pack and clean and run errands. It's not like I'm leaving the country on Friday or anything.

I'm not very good at making this exciting. It'll get better though, once I run into Spanish-speaking strangers and climb through the jungle. At this point I just want to be there already, since everyone keeps asking me questions that I don't have the answers to. Where will you be living? What is your family like? How far is school from your new home? What are your classes like? What's the weather like during the rainy season?

Time to round up the fam for pizza...!hasta pronto!