Greetings Everyone!! Just a note to inform you´ll that I am doing very well here in Ecuador.  Almost 8 months have passed now and so much has changed.  I´m a bit terrified to go back home because I don´t know how everyone is going to react to me, if I´ll still have friends, not saying that no one needs me but to see how everyone has changed without me being there, my family getting accustomed to having me in the house again, waking up in a different bed,  adapting to speaking English once again, etc.  I have changed schools because to tell the truth, I wasn´t happy after 1 month in that all girls school.  Not because it wasn´t a mixed school but because I got sick thinking that I had to go to that school everyday until Jan. and be treated as an exchange student.  I had "friends" for about 2 weeks and then everyone got accustomed to me being there and there were groups (the group of exchange students and the Ecuadorians).  My host parents wanted me to be in a school where they knew I´d be happy.  I now go to school from 1p.m. - 6p.m. (a mixed school) and so far I´m enjoying it.  It´s quite a big change to go from going to school in the morning (7p.m.) to waking up at 9/10 and being on school premises at 12:50ish.  Of all the Rotary excursions that I have had the opportunity to go on, I really enjoyed the trip to Galapagos.  That place is SOOOO AMAZING.  It´s like a natural aquarium.  Just to refresh your memories, I have gone on a Coastal trip where we visited a lot of beaches and got the chance to buy and look at a lot of art. I also have visited the Sierra Mountains (Quito, Ibarra, Otavalo, Cotacachi, The Middle of the World, etc.)  That trip was great even though I got altitude sickness.  I have visited the Amazon Rainforest and even though the Natural Life is wonderful, I was a little disappointed because I didn´t see as many animals I would have liked to eg. Crocodiles, monkeys, baby jaguars (haha).  My last Rotary trip is a 10-day one in May (next month) and we will visit the historical parts of Ecuador eg. Guayaquil, Cuenca, etc.  I am soooo looking forward to going on that trip.  Time is going so quickly.  I would like for all of you to know that I am VERY grateful for this opportunity that you have granted me. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PUTTING IN THE EFFORT AND TIME TO ENSURE THAT I HAVE THE TIME OF MY LIFE ON THIS EXCHANGE YEAR ABROAD. I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I ASSURE YOU THAT YOU TOO WILL RECEIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH. THANKS A MILLION!! Lots of love, Anthonyia Smith Exchange Student in Ecuador (in case you forgot - just kidding!!)