Anticipating Ecuador

Hello everyone. This I wrote about three weeks ago, for my last orientation meeting:

  Today I am in my last evolutionary biology lecture. Today I am discussing Charles Darwin's adventures; what he saw, what he knew, what he didn't know, and the chances he took. Today, I am wearing corduroy and my schedule is the same as it has been every Wednesday for months. In one week I will leave Portland to not see her again for almost a year. In one month I will leave the United States to embark on my own adventures. Turns out mine will not be so far away from those of my favorite 19th century bearded thinker.
  Last time I was in Latin America I was an embarrassed pre-teen; to shy to use my Spanish, but not too young to be in awe of the culture. This time, I am more comfortable in my skin, and my wish to fully immerse myself in the Ecuadorian lifestyle outweighs any qualms I have about not being perfect at the language. I have read numerous articles and books about the flora and fauna of the land. As a scientist, I can't help but feel like a small child on Christmas Eve. For the next month, I will dream about hummingbirds the size of my hands and lizards who think they are fish.
  Who will I encounter on my adventure? What will they teach me? What will I teach them? I hope that they are as excited about meeting me as I am about meeting them. Is this how you felt before your journey Charles? I hope that I am not ill the whole time like you were. I got vaccinated for that. Did you know that what you would find would change your world? I anticipate that this might change my world. Maybe we can chat about it sometime.