Address

Alright people, start putting together your packages for me :)  This will be my address, at least for the next three months, 
PCT Name: Rachel Bowers-Sword

Cuerpo de Paz, Casilla 17-08-8624

Quito Ecuador

Everyone knows how fun it is to get mail.  So even the smallest of letters/notes would be greatly appreciated!!

Less than a week!

In about 4 days I will be in Sunny warm Ecuador...oh wait, they are having just as crappy weather here as we are, lol.  Somehow I managed to get all my stuff packed into a big suitcase, a backpacking backpack, carry-on suitcase and regular backpack. 


Mom put together an amazing farewell party for me.  Hannah and Annie were great helpers!  Minneapolis friends were able to come along with a couple madison friends, as well as family friends.  It was a great to see people and really hard to say goodbye to everyone towards the end of the night.  As of right now we are in Redwing Minnesota having a short family vacation before the send off on wednesday.


As of right now,
I wonder:  what the weather will be like in Ecuador
                  how big my group going down the Ecuador will be, what they will be like
                  what kinda of contact i'll have with family and friends once i'm down there
..well that's just a start.  Hopefully I'll be able to update the blog frequently, and with pics!

less than a month...

Time is going by too fast...  I leave Minneapolis on May 23, fly out on the 1st to Philadelphia, and then will be in Ecuador the evening of the 2nd.  Mixed feelings, obviously.  Excited to be moving on with the next chapter in my life, sad to be saying goodbye to those I may never see again, and a bit nervous.  I don't think I'm really scared though..the fact that I'm familiar with the language and culture calms some anxiety, but who knows what will happen.  For all I know they'll put me in a completely quechua speaking community, time will tell.  

9 months of waiting for 2 years of adventure :)