Miss. Velasquez's Blog

As you've read in my previous post, I have traveled to Ecuador plenty of times. The year my brother got married I stayed in Ecuador for one month. My other cousins who live in the capital, Quito, were also going to the wedding. I stayed with them for two weeks until the big day because they have an extra guest bedroom and I insisted on staying with them because Quito is a very metropolitan area that is filled with rich art and culture everywhere you turn. There are sculptures constantly being constructed in the middle of the city or in unknown parts of it. There are artisanal markets with people sharing their stories, arts and talents. The first day I arrived to my cousin's house, she told me her dog, Celina, was pregnant with a litter and she was supposed to give birth that night. We set up a small "cave" with heating pads, pillows, blankets and towels, ready for the night.  I have to say that it was one of my most memorable experiences. What made me nervous was t

When I was in high school I worked basically everyday in a public library as a page and I would save all of my money because my parents were in charge of my money and bills. I was never allowed to cash any of my checks to hang out with friends or to go shopping. Now, years later I'm very thankful my parents took charge because they helped me save money towards my retirement already! It's never too late to start saving or investing money. I used to despise going to my family's accountant a and sit there just listening to his advice while he was managing mine and my family's money. My parents taught me how to write out a check when I was in high school also and how to begin filing my taxes - (the worst!). When I was in college my parents suggested I go to my accountant on my own to file taxes - my first time was a nightmare! I kept forgetting some paperwork so I had to keep rescheduling my appointment. After doing it on my own for three years I finally got the hang of it

My parents are both from Ecuador, a small country in South America between Peru and Colombia. Ever since my sister and I were little, they have brought us there to see where and how they grew up. When I was a sophomore in college, I wanted to travel by myself to Ecuador to see my cousins. My parents were a little skeptical because it was my first time traveling by myself, but I felt confident I could do it. This was the first time that I had started to feel I could really conquer anything. First I went to Quito, the capital of Ecuador for a few days to spend time with family there, then I went off to the Galapagos Islands where my cousins and I would meet. I have another aunt that lives on one of the islands, so we were able to stay with her for the week. We visited the Charles Darwin Conservatory, Las Grietas, Tortuga Bay, The Galapagos National Park and so many other places. A few interesting things about the islands are you are not allowed to touch any of the wild animals, or you wi