Estoy in Guayaquil (I'm in Guayaquil)

The adventure is well underway.  Instead of going to Quito as planned, the plane landed in Guayaquil due to winds that were too strong for a safe landing.  Got to take it in stride.  I'm pretty much surrounded by español, which is great.  The fact that it's 1:50 AM, means tomorrow & perhaps the following day exhaustion may settle in, buy hey, asi es la vida.

Almost there!!

I can't believe I finally leave in less than 1 week.  It seems like it's been forever....started the application process in November 2010, was accepted in February 2011, have been slowly mentally & physically getting ready & now I can almost taste it!  There's been a transition that's been happening for about a week.  It seems that things at home in my community look different--it's as if there's a filter over my eyes and I'm taking things in differently.  I believe I'm saying adios to my surroundings in preparation for my leave-taking.  It's like I'm absorbing my world here in the Berkshires and kind of putting it away to make space for this wonderful experience I'm about to embark on.  I'm open & ready for whatever is ahead.  Yeah!!

Here is a photo of getting organized, having spent too much time already trying to pack.