first things first

In less than 30 days, I, along with 10 or so other Taylor students, will be crossing the border (legally) into a different hemisphere! Our destination? Due South: ECUADOR. Ecuador is a country that I cannot even put into words... because I know zilch about it- besides the fact that Spanish is the spoken language, it's the birth place of Germania and Felipe, and it offers beautiful views and scenery. [When I learn more, I will share my abundance of knowledge and enrich your life, but until then, just dream with me.]

Over the course of late May to the end of June, I will be completely immersed in the Ecuadorian culture while studying the wonderful language of Spanish. I'll be living with a host family (set up through a local Church), going to class for about four hours a day, traveling, sight seeing, eating delicious foods, and... struggling to learn Spanish. When I come back to the states, I will have 8 credits under my belt and should be able to speak Spanish at every and any McDonalds I wish... or so is the plan.

After a brief conversation with some friends, I re-realized how hard this summer may be. My blog title, "True Life: No Habla Espanol" should really read, grammatically speaking, "True Life: No Hablo Espanol". If you didn't catch it, I wrote, "No speak Spanish" instead of, "I don't speak Spanish". [Yes, a minor error, but sometimes those can be the worst.] It seems as though I already proved my point. I seriously don't speak Spanish. If this is any indication of my summer, I am in for quite a treat! None the less, the blog title stands. For it will be a constant reminder of how far I've come... or how far I still need to go.

This whole 'new culture/language barrier' thing will pose many challenges, but I guess that's what this adventure is all about. I'm totally up for it- to see what Ecuador has in store for Sarah Billman. I know my days will be chocked full of goofy stories, misunderstandings, 'deer in the headlights' faces, and many lessons learned, thus the creation of this blog. I wish to document these moments so that you can laugh with me [or at me... I'm okay with that, too].