- Yummy Dark Beer - the beer in Ecuador is nothing to write home about
- No litter - the pervasive liter in Ecuador is so sad considering the natural beauty of this country
- No street dogs - I've learned to tune them out, but its still hard everyday
- Salt & Vinegar Chips - been craving this one for months!
- Driving a reliable (rental) car - yep our car is in the shop AGAIN! I think we can officially say we bought a lemon
- Beach Days - 'nuff said
- New England sunsets
- Southsides
- Ceaser Salads
- Cam's Pizza
- Laughing with old friends
- People who speak english
- Knowing how to navigate ... everything
- Gaining an appreciation that only leaving a place can bring you - Ecuador is draining me a little these days and I think leaving it will remind me why I love it
Monday, July 29, 2013
359 Days Later...
After arriving in Ecuador almost an entire year ago, I'm finally headed back to Rhode Island!!! I'm so excited to go home to see family and friends and soak in the Rhode Island summer that I have been missing so much. Other things I can't wait for:
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
A Quick Retreat
We celebrated our 8th Anniversary a few weeks ago!!! Seriously, where does the time go?!? Anyway, we decided to take ourselves into the countryside for a little mid week getaway at lakeside resort. We'd been hearing tales of the heatwave in the northeast and were craving a summertime swim and some sun. Unfortunately, we were quickly reminded that we are in the mountains and it can be very cold! No summertime feeling for us, but it was a great evening anyway. Here are a few photos:
Spencer finally found his water, though he didn't get to go in. :(
Due to the chilly mountain evening I couldn't get away from the roaring fire. It was awesome.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Safety First
Another great example of the extensive safety standards here in Ecuador:
In case you can't see it, that is a metal ladder (on the left) leaning on a live power line over our car. Needless to say we decided to move our car before the man started climbing.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
An Anniversary, of sorts
On Friday, July 19th I quietly and privately celebrated my one year anniversary of not working. That's right, an entire year has passed since I quit my very good job that I had been at for over 7 years to head out on this adventure. Hard to believe!
Of course I don't regret it one bit, but I often reflect on the old days of a busy schedule, early mornings, late nights, stress, too little vacation, intellectual challenges, interactions with people in my shared field of interest, that sense of satisfaction for a job well done, a great boss etc etc. I have immensely enjoyed this once in a lifetime opportunity to make my day my own for such an extended period of time and I am incredibly appreciative of all I've been able to do this past year including travelling, learning to cook, reading for pleasure, spending time with Spencer and Maia, working on myself.
I did start grad school 2 months ago, so I am slowly getting back into the arena that keeps me buzzing. I love it so far and am so excited to keep learning and earn my masters....finally! And, believe it or not, I really do look forward to resuming my career someday soon. Another item for the 'reasons we should go back to the US next June' list.
Not working full time hasn't been all rainbows and cupcakes this year, though, as I did feel the need to contribute in some way to our life down here, so in November I started teaching ESL (english as a second language) at the Language Center housed at Spencer's school. With zero training and qualifications other than being a native speaker, they put me in a room with Ecuadorians and said "teach", which I proceeded to do upwards of 20 hours per week some weeks for a meager $7 per hour (ouch, talk about a pay cut). Several students and many months later I can confidently say that teaching ESL is another calling I have not missed. It's HARD! English is a stupid language!! It's full of irregularities and exceptions and can be painful to teach to anyone who has the propensity to ask "why?" when faced with some random exception (like me). I have a incredible appreciation for my friends in this field and will be sure to give them hugs next time I see them.
My favorite little anecdote from my teaching experiences this year came near the beginning when I subbed for a 4 hour Saturday class of 5 teenagers. Keep in mind this was very early on in my whole teaching / Ecuadorian experience. I was given very little instruction other than a teacher's guide and told that at some point during the morning I would have to do a cooking demonstration. "Excuse me, I don't cook. How can I teach someone else to cook." No problem, she says and begins to write some notes on a card. A minute later she hands me the card and says "take this, you'll be fine" while ushering me out of her office with haste (I don't think she wanted me to ask any other questions). Once outside, I read the card and had a good laugh. I've been meaning to share this since that day:
What more could I need?!?! I can't make this stuff up! Needless to say when this box was brought to my classroom mid way through the morning with a bowl of luke warm beans I did my best to "teach" teenagers how to make burritos in a classroom with no stove, no sink, no other supplies.
But, they were teenagers and they did not seem to notice or care one bit because they got to eat bean burritos and drink coke for a while in the middle of class.
One of the best things this adventure in Ecuador has taught me (or at least, reaffirmed) is not to take things too seriously. It'll work out.
Of course I don't regret it one bit, but I often reflect on the old days of a busy schedule, early mornings, late nights, stress, too little vacation, intellectual challenges, interactions with people in my shared field of interest, that sense of satisfaction for a job well done, a great boss etc etc. I have immensely enjoyed this once in a lifetime opportunity to make my day my own for such an extended period of time and I am incredibly appreciative of all I've been able to do this past year including travelling, learning to cook, reading for pleasure, spending time with Spencer and Maia, working on myself.
I did start grad school 2 months ago, so I am slowly getting back into the arena that keeps me buzzing. I love it so far and am so excited to keep learning and earn my masters....finally! And, believe it or not, I really do look forward to resuming my career someday soon. Another item for the 'reasons we should go back to the US next June' list.
Not working full time hasn't been all rainbows and cupcakes this year, though, as I did feel the need to contribute in some way to our life down here, so in November I started teaching ESL (english as a second language) at the Language Center housed at Spencer's school. With zero training and qualifications other than being a native speaker, they put me in a room with Ecuadorians and said "teach", which I proceeded to do upwards of 20 hours per week some weeks for a meager $7 per hour (ouch, talk about a pay cut). Several students and many months later I can confidently say that teaching ESL is another calling I have not missed. It's HARD! English is a stupid language!! It's full of irregularities and exceptions and can be painful to teach to anyone who has the propensity to ask "why?" when faced with some random exception (like me). I have a incredible appreciation for my friends in this field and will be sure to give them hugs next time I see them.
My favorite little anecdote from my teaching experiences this year came near the beginning when I subbed for a 4 hour Saturday class of 5 teenagers. Keep in mind this was very early on in my whole teaching / Ecuadorian experience. I was given very little instruction other than a teacher's guide and told that at some point during the morning I would have to do a cooking demonstration. "Excuse me, I don't cook. How can I teach someone else to cook." No problem, she says and begins to write some notes on a card. A minute later she hands me the card and says "take this, you'll be fine" while ushering me out of her office with haste (I don't think she wanted me to ask any other questions). Once outside, I read the card and had a good laugh. I've been meaning to share this since that day:
What more could I need?!?! I can't make this stuff up! Needless to say when this box was brought to my classroom mid way through the morning with a bowl of luke warm beans I did my best to "teach" teenagers how to make burritos in a classroom with no stove, no sink, no other supplies.
One of the best things this adventure in Ecuador has taught me (or at least, reaffirmed) is not to take things too seriously. It'll work out.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Long Overdue Update
Apologies for our absence! The last month and a half have been super busy here.
Three big pieces of news to share, the first and most important, is that Spencer is done with his first school year abroad! It was a long and difficult year full of drama and scandal, stories that we will be sure to share when we see you in person. But, it is over finally and was a great success for him.
The second is that we moved!! As I mentioned a few times, we had been anxious to move from our previous apartment for a number of reason that I wont belabor here, and we could not be happier in our new place! We are in an awesome new neighborhood very close to a number of our good friends. In fact, our new neighborhood is affectionately known as 'gringo-landia' by many of us here because so many people live within a few blocks of each other. We're a little further from Spencer's school, but much closer to some good restaurants and other amenities that we can now enjoy. It's wonderfully walk-able, which is awesome! I will post some photos soon.
The third big piece of news and the one that has kept me too busy to be posting as often as I'd like is that I started a graduate school program, finally! I am currently pursuing my masters in non-profit management at Northeastern University in Boston. I am doing the program on-line. I just wrapped up my first 2 classes and am very proud to say that I am getting A's so far! I've always wanted to get my masters and I'm so excited that I'm finally doing it. Another item to check off my bucket list (coming soon). Unfortunately, it is a lot of work and requires a ton of writing each week so I get pretty tapped out and it makes it difficult to come here to post updates, but I will do my best. Stay tuned.
Finally, we will be back in the states in a few short weeks and hope to catch up with everyone! We are very excited to come home after being away for an entire year. There are so many things we're looking forward to I can't list them all here. See you soon!
Here are some photos from the last month or so:
Three big pieces of news to share, the first and most important, is that Spencer is done with his first school year abroad! It was a long and difficult year full of drama and scandal, stories that we will be sure to share when we see you in person. But, it is over finally and was a great success for him.
The second is that we moved!! As I mentioned a few times, we had been anxious to move from our previous apartment for a number of reason that I wont belabor here, and we could not be happier in our new place! We are in an awesome new neighborhood very close to a number of our good friends. In fact, our new neighborhood is affectionately known as 'gringo-landia' by many of us here because so many people live within a few blocks of each other. We're a little further from Spencer's school, but much closer to some good restaurants and other amenities that we can now enjoy. It's wonderfully walk-able, which is awesome! I will post some photos soon.
The third big piece of news and the one that has kept me too busy to be posting as often as I'd like is that I started a graduate school program, finally! I am currently pursuing my masters in non-profit management at Northeastern University in Boston. I am doing the program on-line. I just wrapped up my first 2 classes and am very proud to say that I am getting A's so far! I've always wanted to get my masters and I'm so excited that I'm finally doing it. Another item to check off my bucket list (coming soon). Unfortunately, it is a lot of work and requires a ton of writing each week so I get pretty tapped out and it makes it difficult to come here to post updates, but I will do my best. Stay tuned.
Finally, we will be back in the states in a few short weeks and hope to catch up with everyone! We are very excited to come home after being away for an entire year. There are so many things we're looking forward to I can't list them all here. See you soon!
Here are some photos from the last month or so:
June has brought some amazing sunsets from our new deck
A couple of photos from our small housewarming party. Our awesome friends Kain and Emily moved into the apartment right next door to ours, so it was a co-hosted event. We love having them next door and are able enjoy many sunset drinks on the lanai.
We celebrated Emily's 32nd birthday shortly after moving in. These cakes were made by the amazing Kate.
Maia and I have been enjoying long walks in the park behind our house. Same park as before, but now we get to enjoying from a whole new angle. This is still my favorite part about this city! Maia loves finding cows, I don't think they love her, though.
Some shots from our neighborhood. I'm in love with this pink tree, I don't know what it is, but it reminds me of something from a Dr. Seuss book. The other is some roof dogs that greet us daily.
The park is full of these beautiful flowers that smell amazing.
I was surprised to see something truly American at the store the other day - Cranberry Sauce! Unfortunately, I don't think they knew what to do with it and stocked it next to the barbecue sauce and A1. Huh? I think they just went with 'sauce'.
An end of year party with some good friends - left to right - Graham, Kain, Big Spence, Devin, Gregg.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Peru!!
We recently took advantage of our close proximity and made our way to one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu! Located in southern Peru, this amazing ancient site was a definitely a "must see" while here in South America.
To get there we had to fly to Cusco, Peru via the capitol city of Lima. We had been told Cusco was a nice city but we weren't expecting too much other then a place to stop on our journey to Machu Picchu. Fortunately, we were thrilled to discover that Cusco was an amazing site to be seen as well! We loved this colonial little mountain town located at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level (Quito is only 9,000 ft). It has a very quaint, old, European feel and was loaded with tourists from all over the world. Being in a tourist town has both pros and cons as it feels crowded but the tourism and hospitality industry is eager to please. Tons of people spoke english, the service was great, and we found longed for American places like Starbucks to enjoy!
We had an amazing dinner one night with our friends Graham and Judy who happened to be visiting Cusco/Machu Picchu at the same time as us. We ate some delicious Peruvian food including ceviche, alpaca, quinoa (Peru is the birthplace of this odd little grain) and their local drink the Pisco Sour. While asking our waiter more about Pisco, he offered to let us try it in the many flavors they serve, so off we went to do some shots!
The next day we headed out for a bus tour of the Sacred Valley which leads to Machu Picchu. It is a beautiful valley that is dotted with small villages and lots of Incan sites similar to, but much smaller than, Machu Picchu.
To get there we had to fly to Cusco, Peru via the capitol city of Lima. We had been told Cusco was a nice city but we weren't expecting too much other then a place to stop on our journey to Machu Picchu. Fortunately, we were thrilled to discover that Cusco was an amazing site to be seen as well! We loved this colonial little mountain town located at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level (Quito is only 9,000 ft). It has a very quaint, old, European feel and was loaded with tourists from all over the world. Being in a tourist town has both pros and cons as it feels crowded but the tourism and hospitality industry is eager to please. Tons of people spoke english, the service was great, and we found longed for American places like Starbucks to enjoy!
The Pisco Sour is on the left, and the many other infused flavors are on the right including ginger, apricot, fig, tree tomato and jalapeno. Spencer and Graham tried them all. It was a ton of fun!
The next day we headed out for a bus tour of the Sacred Valley which leads to Machu Picchu. It is a beautiful valley that is dotted with small villages and lots of Incan sites similar to, but much smaller than, Machu Picchu.
Cool Peruvian mountain woman just chilling out. And another carrying her baby in the traditional style, slung over her back in a blanket. These cool women don't do strollers!
Eventually, we had to get onto a train to take us the rest of the way to Aguas Calientas, the town that sits in the foothills of the mountain that Machu Picchu sits atop.
We had a low key night preparing for our visit early the next morning. Machu Picchu sits 1,200 feet above the town and Spencer decided to join Graham and Judy for the steep hike up at 5:00 am. I took the bus.
As expected, it is one of the New 7 Wonders of the world after all, Machu Picchu was AMAZING and AWESOME in every sense of the words. You don't see anything until you are almost in it, which is how it stayed so protected and untouched by the Spaniards that conquered the Incas 500 years ago. Once you round that last corner it renders you almost speechless in its magnificence and the shock that it is a city that was created on the peak of a mountain. The Incas were not lazy people!
It's hard to describe how cool Machu Picchu was. And, unfortunately, I don't feel like these pictures do it justice. It was truly awesome. Overall, we had a great time in Peru!
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