Última semana

Tonight is my last night in Cleveland. Tomorrow morning I'll be heading off to Miami for a night and then to Quito with the rest of the WorldTeach gang. I definitely have a mixture of emotions right now, but mostly I'm excited and unsure of what's to come.

I've had a great send off week though. Kaytee and I went to Maine for a few days to spend some time together. We went kayaking, hiking, sailing, and lobster-festival-ing. So much fun! We even got to see the sunrise on top of Cadillac Mountain (the first place in the continental US where the sun rises).

Then I went to Philly and got to see Megan! I definitely miss my friends from school. I was also able to go to my cousin Jess's wedding. It was beautiful! She made a stunning bride and she married the perfect guy for her. It was also a great way to see my entire family from my mom's side. I got to say goodbye to everyone. It was a sad goodbye because I won't see them for the holidays, but I know they will be thinking about me.

Then I came back to Cleveland for my last few days of work and tons of packing. I went to a festival in Little Italy and had some amazing food. And the next night I was introduced to this fantastic band called The Silk Road Ensemble. You should definitely check them out if you get a chance! Tonight we had a few family members over and I got to cook my final meal here. It's so crazy to think I'm leaving tomorrow! I think I'm in a good spot with packing and almost everything fits. Now I just have to spend a little bit of time with my pets and try to get some sleep.

Top things I'm excited about:

1. Being in a new culture
2. All of the eco-touristy things I'll do
3. The food
4. Dancing
5. My WorldTeach soon-to-be friends
6. Teaching again
7. Going to Peru
8. Learning Spanish
9. Living with a host family
10. Trying new things

Top things I'll miss about the US:

1. My pets
2. Being able to talk to my friends and family whenever I want
3. Electronics and wireless Internet
4. My car
5. English
6. Being able to get food from any culture I want (Italian, Thai, Chinese, etc)
7. My bed
8. Being home for the holidays
9. Having a job that pays
10. Changing seasons

I'm off to Ecuador!