Arrival

Now that I’m no longer panicking about trying to avoid panic back home, I can actually take the time to write something a little more detailed than “I’m here, yay!”

Mom and I arrived at Logan airport at about 8 o’clock this morning. I waved goodbye as I went through security and she took off…and then they found my Swiss Army knife in my backpack. I thought I had left it in my room, but apparently it had fallen to the depths of my bag. She told me I could check my backpack (not a chance) or mail it to myself. I decided to go back out and use the self-mailer, but I couldn’t figure it out, and the staff member I asked was so utterly unhelpful I wondered if she’d ever been in an airport before that day. Frustrated and anxious to get to my gate, I gave up and chucked the knife in the garbage. Already annoyed, I was more so when I had to go through security a second time.

I reached my gate by about 8:30, but the flight was late getting in and late taking off, and thus nearly an hour late arriving in Houston. I was grateful to have a long layover, because I was still able to get lunch and have plenty of time to board the next flight. I was standing in line for boarding call and listening to a girl behind me talk about how her pants nearly fell down when security made her take her belt off. Amused, I turned around to get a look at her belt, and realized it was Marie…and Braulio and Liz. When I realized that Braulio had been sitting in front of me on the last flight because I recognized the pattern of his shirt, I felt immensely unobservant, and we all had a laugh.

The flight from Houston to Quito was on time and uneventful. The four of us disembarked and went through immigration and customs together, then walked out into the waiting area, where we were forcefully parted with our luggage tags. I found a woman holding a sign that said, “Katherine Skipper, Bienvenidos!” She gave me a hug and a kiss and a bouquet of flowers, and we walked out to her car. While she paid the parking fee, I dug out the Spanish book mom got me for Christmas, that I had been reading on the plane. I wanted to tell her that I was excited, but “excitada” is not the word to use for simply looking forward to something, and I couldn’t remember the right one.

I did eventually find it, and we chatted while she drove to her house. I understood the vast majority of what she said and was able to make my replies understood as well, which felt really good. It felt even better when she told me my Spanish was good!

We arrived at her house, which is tucked behind a gate on the corner of a block, covered in pretty wrought iron and vines. It looks small from the outside, but is surprisingly spacious once you’re in. She lives alone with one “employee” (I’m guessing a maid-type), and another exchange student. The other student is from Colorado but is leaving in five days. I haven’t gotten to meet him or her yet.

I tried to call home, but my calling card didn’t work, and I didn’t understand the error. My cell phone of course will neither call nor text, though I did try. No one was signed into Skype, and no one I had agreed to call was signed into AIM either. There’s no broadband connection in the house; the only way to get internet is to buy a card ($5 for 16 hours) and dial up. Apparently there is free WiFi at the school, though, so I should be able to do things that require a lot of bandwidth during the day if I need to. Lucía is going to take me to campus tomorrow and show me around so I know where I’m going. I did finally manage to get on MSN and find Craig, and had him call home for me so that mom wouldn’t worry. Sorry to wake you up at that hour, mom!

Anyway, I’m going to try and post this now before my internet card runs out. I only have a two-hour one right now, and I forget what time I signed in. Will update again when possible!