I have been trying to post most of the major things we have done since moving here, but there are a few items that don’t quite deserve their own post so I have lumped them together in this one! We have been having a great time getting to know the city, exploring, settling in, etc so we have documented as much as possible. Here are a few pictures:

Apartment hunting!
When we first arrived in Quito, the school put us up in a hotel for a week and assigned us buddies to help us find apartments. The first few days were a bit stressful and harrowing as we looked at apartments that didn’t fit what we wanted at all!
Later on in the week, in an attempt to show us as many apartments as possible in the least amount of time we carpooled. There wasn’t quite enough space though so me and Alex rode in the trunk of the 4×4! Hold on tight!
As you saw from Alex’s video, this mad search for a place to live was very successful. We love our new home and even though it still feels a bit empty, we are excited to have the next two years to fill it with stuff!

There have been a few grocery store trips that have led me nearly to tears of frustration. As many of you know, I really enjoy cooking and my inability to find some key ingredients is making the weekly trip to the grocery store much less enjoyable. If you are interested in sending a care package, I could really use some Italian seasoning and various other spices that don’t seem to exist here!
That being said though, I may be having trouble finding a few things I’m used to in the grocery store here, but this bean selection is pretty sweet!

Our first dinner in our new house!
Spaghetti and beer in front of the fire was pretty awesome even without furniture.
A functioning fireplace was on the list of things we hoped we could have in our apartment here. After looking at several places that had fireplaces that didn’t work and one that just had fireplace tools on display with no fireplace, we were thrilled to find an apartment where we can actually use the fireplace!
We bought a truckful of wood from a guy who knocked on our door and now heat our living room with a fire each night after school.

We have been shopping at the local MegaMaxi (like Walmart) what feels like every day since moving in to our apartment. There just always seems to be one more thing that we need in the kitchen or bathroom, etc. Last Saturday, in an effort to actually enjoy the city and shop some different places we opted for the market route instead.
I’m not even sure what this park is called. We were in search of an artisan market and came across this manicured area.
Pretty!