Hello everyone,
I have not officially left on my adventure yet, but I wanted to set up my blog now in an attempt to hold myself accountable to it. Here's a little info about where I'm going and what I'm doing.
I will be living in Cuenca, Ecuador, which is a city of just over 500,000 people located in the Andes mountains, in the southern part of Ecuador. Cuenca is a city with a history of female entrepreneurship, and as a result one website I read listed that the ratio of women to men there is 2:1. Cuenca was also named the #1 international retirement destination for 2009, and apparently has a growing community of retired ex-patriots from the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe. The weather there ranges from about 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit all year round, though it does get colder at night. I've been told by others who've been to Cuenca, that I'm going to be living in a kind of paradise.
I will be teaching English language at an international school called CEDEI, though which grades I will specifically be teaching has yet to be finalized. The students at the school start English immersion in pre-school, and I am expected to teach my students using only English. This is good for me, because I do not speak any Spanish (yet). I will be taking Spanish classes upon my arrival as a part of my position, and I also get the chance to take Salsa dancing lessons.
I am not sure where I will be living yet, because we have to find our own housing once we get there. I will be staying in a hostel for the first two weeks, and hopefully will figure out a plan upon my arrival. I do get support in my housing search (especially with the language) from my school, which is the only thing placating me about this aspect of my trip. It wouldn't be an adventure without a little fear though, right?
I leave on Friday and will write again once I get there and get myself situated. Wish me luck.
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