Feb 7, 2024

In South America, petty crime is a huge problem where tourists are targeted, and walking alone is not safe. The same is true in Quito, Ecuador where I have to be more cautious and aware of my surroundings, especially with the language barrier. So to mitigate the crime inflicted on students, my instructors encouraged us to take an Uber when possible and they provided us with a weekly stipend for travel. For me, my homestay family is only a five-minute walk so I meet up with one of my friends in the program, Julia, so we can walk together. However, on days like today when we have to meet at Centro de Convenciones Metropolitano de Quito CCMQ (Centro de Convenciones Metropolitano), it’s necessary to take an Uber. 

I woke up at 6:30 am and started coordinating with two other people so that we could Uber together for our 8:30 departure time. As time passed the Uber situation was becoming more difficult and we were struggling to coordinate. Partially due to the confusing streets in Quito, they even stump the locals. On top of that, my phone does not work because of the international plan that my family purchased for me before I left, so I could not communicate with anyone once I stepped out of the house and onto the street without wifi. So when it was 8:20 am I had to order an Uber on my own since we could not figure out how to get there together from different destinations and my friends arrived at the wrong destination to pick me up. Fortunately, I was able to get a ride but I was already late and arrived at 8:50. I wasn’t the only person late and all was well since it was our first time trying to use Uber in Quito, but was a humbling experience. 

Once I arrived at Centro de Convenciones Metropolitano I was met by most of the group near the Osos de Anteojos statute where we waited for everyone else to arrive. We then departed to the Quito Tenis and Golf Club where we continued our orientation. During orientation, we were made aware of the academic expectations and understanding of the requirements for our field journal. After that, we had a coffee break where the club staff brought us mini pastries and sandwiches by the pool. We were allowed to swim in the pool which I was super excited about since I love swimming. As soon as I finished my food, I headed to the changing rooms to get ready for the pool; I put my hair up and changed into my bathing suit. 

I had so much fun in the pool we played games with each other and threw each other around the pool. Someone, Bode, brought a frisbee and we threw that around. I was terrible and may have hit a few people on accident, but it was all so funny every time and I tried so hard to throw it correctly and not drown. It’s so difficult to properly throw a frisbee in breast-deep water so I had to do it in the shallow end. Once again, I love everyone in my program and I’m so glad I get to experience this semester with them. We all had a blast in the pool and I think I grew closer with them; a family that plays together stays together. 

I had a feeling that my hair would not hold up in the water since they were only twists held by rubber bands in my 2-inch hair. So when I got out of the pool after playing incredibly hard I was not surprised to find two of my front braids dangling off. I made the executive decision to remove all of my braids in the bathroom which should’ve only taken 20 minutes. To my surprise, all of the people in my program in the bathroom helped me take my hair out on the spot and we finished in half the time. This act of kindness made me want to cry as I felt so loved. I’m not used to making genuine friends so easily in a predominantly white environment. However, with this group, my race is not even a topic I think about as a barrier. Here it’s just my identity and it doesn’t stop the connections I make. And though my hair was gone which was a wound in itself, I would do it all over again.