Portoviejo!

This just in: my city of residence for the next year will be Portoviejo. It's a coastal town with a population of about 170,000. This, I just discovered, is roughly the size of Grand Rapids. I can only deduce, then, that this city will be just as cool as Grand Rapids. There's a proof somewhere to back that up, I'm almost positive. Additionally, Porto is located 1 latitudinal degree south of the equator. I've been told it will be hot and humid all year with a rainy season and a dry season. I can't wait!

Moving on....there are some other interesting facts and new information I also feel blog-worthy. The first being that my teaching placement is at the Universidad Tecnica of Mamabi. I will be teaching 3 days a week to students 10-18 years old. So when I went around telling everyone "adult ed, adult ed, adult ed", I was wrong. Based on what I've gleaned from past volunteers, Portoviejo sounds fabulous. I've been told that the people are super friendly (indicative of coastal towns), the beaches are stunning, the food excellent and the atmosphere is pretty laid back.

My mailing address for the first month of training is
WorldTeach Ecuador
Casilla 17-07-9715
Quito, Ecuador

Although, please know that mail can take up to a month to reach its final destination (aka -me) so it might be better to wait until I know my mailing address in Portoviejo. Also, sending packages can be tricky. Should you decide to send one, please make sure it doesn't weigh over 4 pounds, claim the value as $0 and write "personal items" on the customs form.

Below are my niece and I getting excited! Hasta luego!