Mi familia ecuatoriana

I have some very special people I'd like to introduce you to: mi familia ecuatoriana. My host mother is Isabel and she is both a fantastic cook and very patient with my broken Spanish. My sister Cristina is 27 and visits on weekends; she's in a university program an hour or so away from Quito. She was my saving grace when I first arrived because she replied in the affirmative when I hesitantly asked, "Habla inglés?"

My host sister Tannia has a beautiful apartment in the northern part of the ciudad. She taught me basic salsa in exchange for my impromptu performance of some line dancing. Talk about cross-cultural exchanges! Her son Nicholas is 11 and attends a naval prep school. He's a bright kid and was a great study partner. He'd practice his English and I my Spanish. On Thursday night, he helped me study for my final test at the escuela ... and made me feel like a million bucks by marveling at how I knew nothing when I came and now I knew so much.

I know that I will miss them all terribly. They told me that I always have a home and a family in Quito. Then they told me not to cry. Yeah right.