Liv as we know her...

Two more weeks until my departure.  It is all now starting to hit me and my nerves are kicking in.  I am most nervous about the unknown- the surprises and bumps that will come my way.  Life isn't supposed to be a smooth ride.  You live and learn.  I can't help but feel a little uneasy.  I am a planner.  I like to plan everything and know what to expect.  That is part of the reason why I chose Ecuador, because I am familiar with it. I know what to expect to an extent.  But visiting and living are completely different.

 My life and job are going to completely change in just a couple weeks.  It is scary!  I had a long talk with a friend and in conclusion we both agreed: If I did not take this opportunity and just stayed where I was, I would spend my future wondering what if...

In 3 weeks I will be officially living in Quito, Ecuador.  I am extremely excited..  yet there are some concerns I have.  I am going to list them and explain why.  

1.  Traffic.  I come from a small lazy beach town in Florida.  I had a 15 minute commute to work and back.  This commute consisted of absolutely no traffic, beautiful views as I drove on a bridge over a river, sunrises, dolphins, peace and serenity to prepare myself for my workday/unwind from a crazy day.  In Quito I will have an hour commute to work each morning on a bus through a crowded city with absolutely HORRIBLE traffic.  Because i'm being honest.  The traffic in Quito is horrible and it just keeps getting worse.  The commute back home from work may last longer than an hour. I should never complain about Miami or Tampa traffic.  I can't now.  

2.  Transportation: This one pretty much goes along with the first one.  I will not have a car.  It is a possibility that eventually I will, but the price of cars in Ecuador are crazy for an American ( and probably most people around the world).  I have to admit that a part of me really doesn't want a car, because driving in Ecuador is like a whole new thing.  I would have to learn how to drive there.  Let's just say that it is perfectly okay for a car to be all the way on the right lane of a six lane road  (three lanes going in each direction) and just all of a sudden turn left, without signaling.  That just blows my mind.  I can't. And then most of the time you are just sitting in traffic anyway.  I will be depending on my own two feet and taxis.  I'll have to be extremely careful.  

3.  I stand out.  No matter what, I stand out.  They warn you not to dress in a flashy way or any different, otherwise you could become a target.  Safety is a concern of mine and I refuse to just stay locked up in my room all day.  No matter what, my face shows that I am not from there.