Weather: 80, cloudy, down-poured for like 10 minutes in the a.m. and then became super hot.

Today I had class at 9am. Adrian and I presented our conceptual model and result chains we created using a management software called Miradi. We've been working on these models for about a week and a half so I was thrilled to be able to present them and have the project be over with. In the real world these models can sometimes take a couple years to finalize and make, they're used in strategic planning to conserve a resource or species. Tomorrow is our final exam, I've studied a bit for it and I think I'm ready for it as it's on the process we went through creating the conceptual models.

After class, I went to the science center to check in with Juan Pablo about research but he wasn't there. I am trying my best to have patience when it comes to this research, but at the same time I want to get going on a project. Since our visas are student visas we cannot work while we're here. However, bartering free labor for something you want sometimes works out. One of my friends Hannah is doing free labor for free dive excursions on the weekend. Amber is working at a surf shop, I think to have something to do but she also likes to surf so she probably won't have to pay for a rental. In my case, I'm not a diver or a surfer so I contemplated asking Josanna if she needed a helper and in turn I'd get free lunch. Erica, a girl in my program tried asking her before me (she's where I got the idea from because Erica said Josanna used to have 2 helpers). Lately, her husband has been helping her so that idea is out. There's no other businesses around I could fathom getting involved with so I looked for other opportunities.

The next 3 weeks (the duration of my next class), USFQ is putting on a Summer camp for about 45 kids here in San Cristobal aged 5-12. I decided to join in and help design the camp along with a handful of my other friends. It certainly is a lot of kids and having 3 host siblings (temporarily 4) has been a lot of kid time for me, but I want to get involved in as many things as possible. With my political ecology class starting up next week I actually won't be able to attend some of the camp days for the first two weeks. There's 2 others from my class helping out as well, so I think we're gonna go from 2:30 until whenever we have class. My class goes til 12 and then meets up again either at 3:30 or 4:30 since we only meet for 2 weeks, and the camp runs from 2:30-5:30pm Monday-Friday. I know the third week I'll be able to go to every camp day. I'm looking forward to having the structure because it'll force me to get my work done in the morning. Wednesdays there's field trips either on a boat or to the highlands, so I'm hoping I can get out on at least one of them. I'm also continuing with the conversation club that meets every Friday where I have conversations with the locals in English. Tomorrow we're supposed to be talking a bit in Spanish as well so hopefully I can improve some skills.

It will be different to be busy, but I'm excited and then hopefully I will hear something on the research opportunities soon...fingers crossed!