San Cristobal Island, Galapagos

A post from Sarah Schmidt

I have officially been absent from my blog for two months. For this I am sorry. I'm not sure where the time has gone but ever since I have arrived to the islands there has been beautiful beaches, sun, animals, snorkeling, and of course class to distract me.

I'm not sure where to begin my tale of island living but I figure a lot of pictures will do an adequate job of telling my story.

This is my host families tourist shop. Tourists stop by on their way to the beach and rent kayaks or snorkeling gear. Our house is directly behind the shop. My room and bathroom are separate from the house which has proven to be a nice quality since I have two little host siblings (2 yr old boy and 7 yr old girl) that would probably spend every minute of the day with me if I let them.

This is my host brother Dante. He's so cute but sure does love to test his boundaries; especially with me because he knows I can't yell at him if I don't speak Spanish.

Spanish has probably been my biggest challenge so far (besides not being able to watch the Packers play). My host parents don't speak any English which makes for interesting dinner conversations but I am slowly learning. Their two daughters who are in their late 20's and early 30's and still live at home (see mom and dad, it could be worse) speak English. They give me some relief from translating but often times speak to me in Spanish so I learn.

It's a tough life when your university is directly on the beach and your house is a block away but I've been able to manage. Beautiful sunsets accompanied by the sea lions are a frequent occurrence.

The variety and multitude of animals in the ocean, on land, and in the sky might be my favorite part of being here. The best is the hundreds of sea lions that line the beaches. They are just as interested in us as we are in them. This can be scary at times because of their sheer size but they are amazing creatures and the babies couldn't be cuter. The giant tortoises and blue footed boobies are pretty cool too!

More to come on trips and activities!