Bienvenidos a Quito, Ecuador!

Note to self: hot shower remedies feeling cold. 

Packing in only 40 liters meant making last minute choices, including, only bringing one long-sleeve and not bringing my favorite sweater (too bulky, couldn’t pack it anywhere).

Day 1 to-do: miss the items you didn’t bring. 

My warm clothes (the bulkiest) was what I wore on the plane. Quito, with high altitude, mountainous air that reads 70 degrees F feels significantly cooler than the humid, sea-level, air to which I’m accustomed, even at the same temperature. 

I learned today that November is winter in Quito. 

Day 2 to-do: be brave. 

Day 2 felt more like a day 1 because I went out of the house. After classes, I walked about an hour to the historic center of Quito. It was crowded with many people and I saw only 5 groups of white tourists. Everyone else looked like a local. 

Day 4: plan. 

Traveling solo means no one else’s opinions matter with what you’ll do. Pro: no compromises. Con*: no one to talk through a plan. 

*after a few hours getting comfortable with this, I’m more comfortable making my own decisions and trusting my own intuition.