¿me extrañaron?

Wow, it's been about two and a half months since I wrote here. I think part of the reason for the lapse is that between then and now, I've been back to the States twice on two-week trips touring medical schools, the first of which I did in mid-October and the other from which I just returned last Sunday. These trips were a busy mishmash of peeking into what the next four years might look like, spending time with family and friends all over the country, and generally having fun traveling around and visiting cities I've never really experienced before. The down side of returning to the States, though, was that it was hard to settle down in Ecuador while I kept anticipating and planning these whirlwind excursions. Many interviewers asked me if I get culture shock, and my answer was that no, I don't really, because the U.S. and Ecuador are both paradigms that I understand how to exist in, and transitioning from one to the other is like going from home to college, it's just a different setting but I feel equally comfortable in both. But the point is, due to the constant retelling of my life story and current experiences during my med school interviews, I felt little need to discuss myself even more in a blog. Maybe I'm in interview withdrawal now, which is why I'm writing. Or, I think I just feel like giving an update.

Being back in Ecuador until late June or July is a great feeling. It's still sad for me to be away from so many dear friends, but my trips back to the States reassured me that they'll all still be around when I get back, and we're all suffering from the same feeling of longing for the days when we were all in the same place. As a result of not worrying about being away so much, I've become more comfortable with the idea that my year here doesn't have to be a big life-changing thing, but instead can be pretty much what I've already identified in this blog: this is a year to take it easy before I start working really hard for the rest of my life, to geek out about health care, and to enjoy this wonderful country as much as possible. These goals no longer feel like an excuse for being here, they now seem good and healthy and have proved quite fulfilling.

Also, the future is a little more certain now, which is a relief. First of all, I'm gonna be a doctor! A few med schools have been kind enough to offer me a spot in their 2009 entering class, so it's now certain that I'll be starting my medical training next year, yay! And then there's my research project here, which has been developing quite nicely and took a big leap forward when I got to meet with Dr. Thomas Bossert, the guy whose paper I referenced in my grant proposal.

And the fun stuff is going well, too. I'm climbing mountains again (I was on top of Ilinizas Norte this morning, 16,800 ft!), and I'm hoping to re-summit Cotopaxi on Tuesday and maybe attempt Chimborazo later in the week. I'm also climbing rocks, thanks to a friend who introduced me to a sweet bouldering gym and to a couple outdoor climbing spots. Just before I left on my most recent trip I got to hang out with my homestay family from my study abroad program, which was so much fun to catch up, and we're probably going to meet up again soon. Also, I think that some visitors from home might actually swing down to my neck of the woods throughout the year, so I've got that to look forward to as well.

So all in all, things are going quite well. This started as a pretty contemplative blog because I was really torn about why I decided to come back here, but I'm finally starting to chill out about it and just enjoy myself. Anyway, I need to rest since I'm in acclimatization mode, but I'll write soon and post some pictures!