So this one time, the best campaign in history lead to President-Elect...

OBAMA!!!!

Okay, so I'm a little late. But Tuesday night was amazing.

I can't say I was excited- the excitement had been looming all along, the main sentiment I felt was relief; a huge sense of relief poured over me when he got Pennsylvania and Florida. Sometime soon after that I realized he had won because Washington, Oregon and California would undoubtedly be blue, but when NBC flashed PROJECTION: SENATOR OBAMA WINS ELECTION, the entire bar I was at in Quito erupted in shouts and screams and delight. I had been so worried. I've read an incredible amount about this election, and knew he had been quite favored in the polls, but didn't trust it until I saw it. There could be the race or experience factor, his supporters not actually going out to the polls, some crazy America-style corruption... who knows. But everything is fine and I hopefully will not have to hear or see Sarah Palin for a long time. McCain Reitrement '09.

I went to a bar with 4 friends (1 fellow Obama fan, 3 McCain supporters) and drifted over to another group of foreigners I didn't know after awhile and ended up staying with them the whole night, partially because I wanted to get to know them and partially because I really wanted to be around some liberals. As horrible as it may be to say, I don't think I can respect anyone who voted for McCain in this election. And that is a fault I have, because I am clearly too thick to be able to understand that view, but I just can't. At all. When I asked one of the girls today why she supported him, she said she just agreed with more of his policies. When I asked which ones, she couldn't give me any answers. How can you not be able to say one thing to support the candidate of your choice? [If any of my conservative friends are reading this, please don't be offended. I know I am a judgmental Democrat, and I've admitted it to you. So there!]

I am quite excited to be staying in Quito this weekend, because I've traveled the past 4 weekends and I need a break. It is exciting to be able to sit in my room and write this and not have to worry about packing and getting on a night bus in a few hours. I only have 6 and a half weeks left here, which is crazy. My bar of soap is running out, but I refuse to buy a new one because I travel so much. That's how cheap I've gotten.

I'm still not sure about classes for next semester but I will post when I know. There are some awesome choices, I have eleven I want to take!

Canoa, what tomorrow brings...

I got back from a trip to the beach this morning... God, I'm a broken record, aren't I? Canoa, a beach just barely on the Northern coast, was my third and final beach stop in Ecuador. It is a small beach which is quite a trek: a 7 hour bus ride, boat ride across a river, and another local bus, but it was worth it to go to a small, non-tourist-infested town. A group of sixteen of us went, mostly exchange students and a few Ecuadorians, and stayed in a hostel with views of the beach (and the sound of the waves) right from our rooms! It was amazing. There was also free breakfast and happy hour included in the price... what more can you ask for? I want to be back lying in a hammock and sipping a Caipirinha. I also did a fair amount of homework on the beach... in bed... in my hammock... trying to be responsible!

We had today off from school for Dia de los Muertos, which I actually didn't celebrate... oh well. I am more concerned with the events of tomorrow, namely the US election. It seems impossible for McCain to win (right?) I spend hours every day (well, every day I am in Quito) reading news, everything from the probability of electoral college votes to John McCain's military and scandalous past; Palin's $150,000 wardrobe and why Arizona is surprisingly not a safe 10 votes for McCain. I will be inconsolable if Obama does not win tomorrow. (Hi Uncle Jimmy... no offense, but McCain is a mess.)

There has been more school work here than many students expected, with the common thought that studying abroad is an easy ride. Maybe it is just the classes I picked, or the fact that I am constantly traveling (after the 16th I will have 6 straight weekends of being gone from Quito, often leaving Thursday night and coming back Sunday night or Monday morning, after a draining night bus). I don't regret it though, because there are so many places I want to see here, and sadly I don't like Quito. Me parece dirty and dangerous, and I know that is mostly because I have been blessed with growing up in a beautiful (well, to us locals!) and safe city, but the adjustment has been hard, and I really like getting out to the country and seeing other parts. Although I do have a long list of things I still need to see and do in Quito before I leave (in less than 50 days! Strange...)

Beloit also put out its class schedule last Thursday, so I have been trying to figure that out. As of now I think I am taking Nicaragua in Transition, Economic Development, Women's Health, Politics of Latin America and the Caribbean and Claude Levi-Strauss at 100 (YES GUYS I KNOW IT'S 5 but the last one is only .5 credit, and it's with Rob LaFleur, who is amazing, and will therefore be more of a treat than a chore). Although I'm not sure because there are a TON of appealing classes, and I am trying how to balance them between my IR and Health majors. And the Duffy Partnership is looking for Spanish-speaking students for internships, so I am looking into that as well, but then I KNOW I would have to drop a class...

Also, hi Mom. I saw the typo I made with "it's" in my last entry, but decided not to change it because my wireless is a pain, but thanks for pointing it out! I am an editor after all.

Cross your fingers for tomorrow, guys... don't plan your black wardrobe yet.
LIVE YOUR VALUES. LOVE YOUR COUNTRY. MAKE HISTORY - VOTE OBAMA.