I Ecuador You

So I finally decided to join the technologically competent and post a blog. As the fundraising chair, I've gotten to do most of the super crazy fun stuff involved in working on a great project like the Quito Project. So far, we managed to raise a decent amount of funds via bar nights, t-shirt sales, food sales, and other various, non-underhanded methods. We still have some t-shirts if anyone is interested in purchasing some. They are green and yellow and say "I Ecuador You"-- at ten dollars a pop they are socially conscious as well as fashionably sound...or something.
Right now I'm decompressing after a delightful first year of medical school and recovering from all eight thousand of the vaccinations (or 5, whatever) with which my upper arms were bombarded prior to my leaving Michigan. I have a suitcase-load of Flintstones vitamins, my DEET filled mosquito repellant and the bright-eyed bushy-tailedness that will hopefully make for a great trip to Ecuador. I'm sort of torn between being excited to go and missing all of my newly-made Michigan friends who will, for the most part, be sticking around Michigan doing cutting-edge research. It will be exciting to go back and swap stories with all those crazy cats.
I guess the reason that I picked the Quito Project over staying in Michigan and doing research stems from the idea that somehow we all sort of get a random deal. I didn't do anything particularly special to be born where I was or to the family I have or to have many of the opportunities that we take for granted every day. I am not any type of special person in any way (unless you believe in reincarnation, I guess)-- but anyway-- I guess I feel like since I was lucky enough to have the opportunities that I have, I ought to share the skills I have learned as well as the generosity of the people who donated vitamins and medicines to people who don't have easy access to such resources. It has nothing to do with a sentiment of superiority as was erroneously suggested by the Michigan Daily letter to the editor that someone wrote-- it has more to do with reaching out to fellow human beings in a way that I would like to be reached out to if I were in need of some help as well-- (what a ridiculous sentence that was). Regardless of motivation or intention, I hope that as many people as possible can benefit from the Quito Project, whether it be the medical care we can provide, learning about ourselves, learning about the people of Quito, or learning about life in general.
I also hope to meet a sweet sweet llama.