So this one time I thought there was a robber in the house

I've started to feel more adjusted here in the last week- at school, in the house, walking in Quito. It's nice. This morning I was drinking my coffee on the patio looking down at the city and up at the mountain and thinking how I know it will be over before I can appreciate it all...

Last night I ate dinner with one of my host sisters, which was really nice, because I haven't gotten to know them that well yet. But before that, my overactive imagination--

So we usually eat between 7 and 7:30, virtually always before 8. I was starting to get really hungry and after 8 I went to ask my host mom when we were eating but she was nowhere to be found. I saw some food on the stove and heated up some potatoes to eat. The kitchen is over the street and I started to hear, let's say, a "ruckus-" kids playing really loudly, car alarms going off, not really normal. I thought, oh crazy kids. Then I thought- where is my (host) mother? Why would she leave without telling me we weren't having dinner (she was there just a bit earlier)? Why is the food just chillin' on the stove?

Did something happen to her? IS THERE A ROBBER IN THE HOUSE?

I can't really remember how I got onto that line of thinking. I live on the second floor, kitchen's on the first, and the house is aaallways dark- I think the activities outside and darkness and absence of my host mom got the best of me and I got really freaked out. I went back upstairs, checked my bathroom and under the bed- not kidding- and locked the door. I thought I heard noises and practiced yelling "sesenta y cuatro treinta y nueva" in my head in case I'd have to scream out the window if someone tried to get into my room.

(I might have overreacted a little).

I turned on my cell phone and, surprise of the century, there was a message from my mom saying she was held up and could I wait for dinner? Of course. My host sister came up a few minutes later (a much better visit than from a robber) and we ate together. I am a little crazy.

Today I had class, hung around talking to people and then went to happy hour at RIDICULOUSLY overpriced TGI Friday's with Kalysta and Ali (a girl from USFQ who lives on my street! This was a very exciting discovery). They add 22% tax and "service" and then expect a tip. Well, the place was empty and it was bad service. As you can guess we didn't leave a second tip.

Later we went to the house of this guy named Santiago and watched two movies, Green Street Hooligans which I HIGHLY recommend and Once, amazing soundtrack, although by that point I was falling asleep. GSH is about football (soccer) 'firms' in England which are kind of like gangs and get into street fights... but it tied family stories into it and was very emotional.

Tomorrow I am off to Baños for the weekend. It is a 'spa town' three hours away with tons of outdoor activities and hot springs and swimming pools and massages... and of course restaurants, bars and clubs... I can't wait! I probably won't be reachable there except by my cell which usually doesn't have service or just doesn't get calls... pretty sweet.

Love,
Kim