Hello world!
I apologize for not writing on here more often, it has been a busy busy week! My friends on the trip and I cannot get straight what day of the week it is or how many days we have been here. All I know is that I am loving it! I didn't really know what to expect when coming to Mongolia. It is a country that I knew absolutely nothing about. Upon arriving, Mongolia quickly became a place that I loved.
We are staying at a cute little hostel in Ulaan Baatar. The rooms have bunk beds and feel like a dorm room, so basically they feel like home to me. I eagerly took the top bunk and I love climbing up and down the ladder. There is a curtain that makes it feel like you're sleeping in a fort.
Every single day here has been early and long, but also so incredible. The first weekend we were here we explored the city and observed life. The traffic is insane and many of the cars have the steering wheels on the right side of the car. The cars don't care about pedestrians so we have to run as fast as we can whenever we cross the street. One of the most common injuries here in Mongolia is falling through a manhole on the sidewalk. Everywhere we walk we see manholes painted yellow and like emojis. We all yell "Manhole!" and pull each other out of the way.
We have done so many things in one week you wouldn't believe we have only been here for a week! We've visited monuments and had fun exploring. We went bike riding and went on a small week. During the week we interviewed many incredible women, they have all blown my mind! I am so impressed with the women leaders here. I have been so inspired and challenged by the women. I have learned a lot about myself while I've been here, but it's only been a week!
This week I have tried lamb and horse! I wasn't disappointed, but I also don't know how much I would want to eat again... I also had Indian food for the first time! One of the things I was most worried about for this trip was the food. I am such a picky eater and I was terrified I wouldn't like any of the food, but I have been delightfully surprised! Most of the food I have had so far has been amazing. Yesterday we went to a restaurant that only served vegan food and that was my favorite restaurant so far. And I'm not even a vegan! The dumplings here are AMAZING. Wow. I can't even describe them.
Anyway, it has been a crazy week but I have loved all of it! I love the country and I love everything that we are doing, but I think my favorite thing is the friends I am making. You get pretty close with people when you study abroad them ;)
I will try to be better at posting this week, stay posted and enjoy the blog!