The program that I am a part of CEDEI –the Semester in the Andes, is an American program stationed in Cuenca, Ecuador. CEDEI is an intercambio school (exchange) that is also for local Ecuadorians who wish to learn English, and solo English speaking travelers that want to join the Spanish immersion programs. Solo travelers pay weekly for Spanish intensive language programs.

I am one of 30 students in my Semester in the Andes program. St. Ambrose University in Iowa, led by Arvella Lanseng, our director, is the main affiliate with CEDEI. Most students are from St. Ambrose University and also Salisbury University in Maryland, another affiliate. The other students come from schools all around the states. I am the only student from Marist College, and there are a couple of other solo students. Marist does not affiliate with CEDEI, I discovered my program on the Internet, and worked with Marist to join the program.

The Semester in the Andes is not a Spanish program. It offers Spanish classes, and every student takes Spanish here, but it is not just a Spanish program. They also offer classes in other areas such as Business and Environmental Science.

Since our program is separate from the other programs at CEDEI we only share classes with each other. I came to this program as a Spanish minor and knowing enough Spanish to get myself around. My classes here have been all in Spanish because my level was high enough. However, not all classes are in Spanish.

My program is the majority of my life here. Each day my classes change, but usually I am in class from 8 am to 1 pm. In the afternoons we have cultural classes where we take cooking, painting, ceramics and dance classes. We also have weekly lectures about Ecuador, mostly focused on the political and economical situation of Ecuador.

I traveled with my group to the Galapago. Most weekends my program has planned trips to places in Ecuador, which makes it hard to meet Ecuadorians.

Despite my busy schedule, I have made some Ecuadorians friends. Every Friday and Sunday that I am around, I play soccer with a group of locals. I have made most of my Ecuadorian friends through soccer.

My soccer friends are all local artists here in Cuenca. For example, one is a painter, another is children’s book writer, another is a theatre clown, and the rest are musicians and are in a band together. Meeting them has influenced my obsession with the music here in Ecuador.

Fortunately for me, my host cousin, who lives two houses away from me, is a guitarist in another band as well. The best part about it is they practice in a rundown house in my back yard. Many nights I fall asleep with my window open just listening to the rhythms of salsa and meringue.

Another popular music here is Reggaeton, which is hip-hop with a Latin twist. I personally do not care for reggaeton, but it plays in mostly all clubs and discotecs in Cuenca. Bars in Cuenca usually host mùsica en vivo (live music). These are my preferred nights.

Since I came with a group of Americans, most of the time I go out with my friends from my group, but there have been occasional nights where I venture off with only my Ecuadorian friends. Whether I am with my American friends or Ecuadorian friends it is always a night of dancing.

Occasionally on the weekends I go on day trips with my family here. I live with my host mom, Irene, who is an elderly woman, her daughter Ximena (pronounced Hi-mena), and her daughter Sofia who is six. It is a house full of girls! Irene loves to cook, and she is good at it too.

Our weekend day trips have been to the valley, to a placed called Gualaceo. In Gualaceo there is a fruit market, and shoes galore! They have shoes for five dollars a pair and up. Most of the shoes are for women, specializing in fashionable high heels.

A family member here owns a house in Gualaceo, so when we go there more than family members join us. We have almuerzo (lunch) and walk around their beautiful yard.

Family time is very important here in Cuenca, so whenever I am not busy I make sure to spend time with my host mom either chatting in the kitchen or watching T.V.

My house was completely not what I expected either! I was very surprised the first night I walked in (probably why I thought Cuenca was rich) to find a four-story house, and an entire floor to myself. I have a room with two beds, a TV, and a bathroom to myself. I am surprisingly spoiled here.

My favorite part of my house is the terrazzo, or the roof, where I can overlook the entire city; the grand cathedral in the center with the blue dome and the surrounding Andes.

Although my life here is completely not what I expected, thinking I was going to live in a small pueblo in the country sharing a room with my five brothers and sister, I love it. ¡Me encanta Cuenca, especialmente la música! ¡Viva la música! (I love Cuenca, expecially the music! Let music live!