Post, the first.

Lucas and I (being Simon) thought this blog would be a useful way to communicate with everyone we miss so far away. Most of our posts will probably be about our experiences here in Ecuador, but I also hope to include any interesting writing works that we might write, if indeed any of them manage to be interesting.
Because this is our first post, it is clearly necessary to mention a bit about ourselves and where we are. I am Simon, and I am from Portland Oregon, USA. I am here in Ecuador for 11 months, but also for Spanish. I live in a very beautiful medium sized town called Ibarra, which is about two hours north of Quito by bus. Ibarra also happens to be about one hour from the equator. The family I am living with is very nice, although it seems as though I will be required to switch families, for reasons perhaps somewhat at my fault. I still want to introduce my present family though, because I love them very much. My mom is the one who probably has to put up with the most from me, and she is very supportive. Her name is Salome, as is my oldest sister, who I unfortunately have hardly gotten to meet, although I know she is certainly very nice. My father, Paul is apparently very funny, and I hope I will get a chance to talk to him once my Spanish improves, because the people around him always seem to be laughing. Paul shares his name with Paul (of all people), one of my two twin brothers. The other brother is Pancho, or Patuli, or Banchis, or Fransisco. Both my brothers are very fun, and funny, and nice, and I assume I will miss them very much. Lastly but not Leastly, my younger elder sister, Paola. She is very nice, and has perhaps saved my life by translating during a medical emergency I had in the beginning of my trip.
I will miss all these people very much, and I hope they might miss me a little bit sometimes.