connections

The first night I arrived in Ecuador, two people from CEMPROC, the organization Ill be working with, met me at the airport. I dont think Ive ever been so happy to see a sign with my name on it. After negotiating the price for a cab (taxi drivers dont use meters at night), we made our way up to my hostel where I was greeted by the smell of dinner cooking and sounds of different languages traveling through the kitchen. As soon as I put my suitcases in my room, I realized how hungry I was. Since its better to not walk around by yourself at night, I wanted to go somewhere nearby and the hostel owner directed me to a friendly little tienda where they sell basic necesities, alcohol and these sandwiches which smelled amazing.
I definitely stuck out with my basket full of peanut butter, jelly, and a few other things that reminded me of home. While I was checking out, I began to tell friendly woman running the store what had brought me to Ecuador and what I hoped to accomplish here. I also mentioned that I was looking for a more permanent place to stay-while the hostel Im at is cheap and in a great location, I want a place I can call home.
The woman immediately began thinking of other gringos (the name for caucasions in Latin America) she knew who had stayed in Quito and what some of my options were. She called a friend who usually hosts students and travelers and within minutes, the son from the family arrived at the store to meet me. We exchanged emails and have since communicated about what my plans are and when I can come see the room In the US, what had just been accomplished in 5 minutes would take weeks of craiglist searching, flipping through newspapers, and going through a series of interviews by potential new roommates. Im supposed to go see the place this week, and while Im not sure Ill move in, its a good feeling knowing how easy it is to find a place I can call home for my time in Quito.