Skip to content

Elizabeth Seeks

Outdoor adventures in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, with some occasional reflective storytelling.

  • Home
  • About
  • Hikes
    • Washington
    • Montana
    • Oregon
    • Ecuador
  • Camping
  • Reflections
  • International
    • Ecuador
    • Mozambique
    • Colombia
    • Video Logs
Press Enter / Return to begin your search.

All articles filed in Ecuador

Ecuador Ecuador HikesDecember 22, 2020December 22, 2020

Cotopaxi National Park Day Trip: Jose Rivas Refuge Hike

Ahh, Cotopaxi. The volcano I admired most from my Quito bedroom window since my first day in the country. Snow-capped, majestic, imposing. And, a quick day trip from the city! It doesn’t get any better than this. Jose Rivas Refuge Hike Hiked: mid-December Distance from Quito: 2 hrs Accessibility: Difficult. While the first part of…

Read More
Ecuador Ecuador HikesDecember 14, 2020December 14, 2020

Condor Machay Hike

It’s hard to believe, but while I was living in Ecuador for four years, I didn’t do all that much hiking. The main reason was accessibility. Though I lived in the Andes, and there are ample trails within a fairly short radius of Quito, the problem was that you can’t easily bus to many of…

Read More
EcuadorNovember 25, 2020November 8, 2021

Two Weeks in Ecuador for Nature and Adventure Lovers

Itinerary for two weeks in Ecuador for adventure lovers and nature lovers.

Read More
EcuadorMay 28, 2018November 18, 2020

The Gringo’s Guide to Blending in in Ecuador

In under two months, my closest friends and family members will be visiting Ecuador for my church wedding and reception. For you all, and for any future visitors to my adopted country, I offer the following advice in order to help you blend in here in Ecuador: Don’t Wear Athleisure Any and Everywhere While socially…

Read More
Ecuador ReflectionsApril 24, 2018November 18, 2020

Marriage Across Continents

On January 3, 2018, Gonza and I got married in a civil ceremony at the Civil Registry in Quito. Since then, it’s been happily ever after. Right? Not quite. While we are absolutely enjoying married life, marriage to a foreigner is a serious undertaking. It is not for the faint of heart. While all newlywed…

Read More
EcuadorJanuary 25, 2018November 18, 2020

Quick write: How to Cancel a Visa

Or, a lesson in navigating Ecuadorian bureaucracy. Step One: print out the cancellation documents, including a copy of the ex-volunteer’s passport, a copy of their visa, a copy of our proof of having a legal presence in Ecuador, and two copies of a letter requesting the cancellation of the visa because you need one to…

Read More
Ecuador Video LogsJanuary 18, 2018November 18, 2020

V-Log: Travels with Family in Ecuador

(*Scroll to bottom to just see the video*) It happened: my parents boarded a plane on Christmas morning and flew to Quito, Ecuador. For my dad, this was his first trip abroad. For my mom, her first to South America. I’d been waiting for this day for oh, 2+ years. When I first moved abroad…

Read More
Ecuador ReflectionsDecember 14, 2017November 18, 2020

What the Heck-uador? Culture Shock Two Years In

Having co-facilitated an orientation for a group of volunteers arriving in country exactly two years after I arrived as a volunteer was a surreal experience. At this point, I like to think of myself as a Veteran Expat. Not much surprises me anymore about living in Quito after having spent almost two entire years of…

Read More
Ecuador ReflectionsDecember 11, 2017November 18, 2020

From Volunteer to Field Staff, One Year In

I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook memories. Sometimes they drag up ugly photos from my braces-fille high school years, or pictures of people I was once close to but through time and space no longer see. Other times they remind me of amazing moments like rafting in the jungle or a date at the…

Read More
Ecuador ReflectionsApril 21, 2017November 18, 2020

Enfermedades en Ecuador: How to Address Illness like an Ecuadorian

Have you ever gotten sick abroad? If you have, you might be aware that ideas about sickness are different from place to place. Read on for an Ecudaorian approach to enfermedades. Prevention is key! Ways to prevent sickness include keeping your windows shut against the cold air, not being a vegetarian and consuming plenty of…

Read More

Page navigation

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next

Follow Me

  • Instagram
(Pt 5/5) I'm learning early on that it's true what is said about parenthood — which is that all decisions shift in consideration of the child 💞 (Pt 4/5) Meanwhile, life continued on as usual. The world doesn't stop just because your life is in pieces 🧩 (Pt 3/5) I spent the next ~8 weeks feverishly applying for jobs 👩‍💻 Countless hours spent pouring over cover letters, thinking through relevant experiences and the stories I could tell about them, connecting with people through my networks, and preparing assignments and presenting them to interview panels. And all the while, not even knowing what types of parental leave might be available to me should I get a job offer 🤱 (Pt 2/5) We had planned out all the details: we were hoping for an early September baby so we could theoretically go to Ecuador for both early summer vacation and the winter holidays. We knew my job offered 12 weeks fully paid parental leave. We knew Gonza staying at his job meant he’d be eligible for 12 weeks partially paid paternity leave through Washington state. It was all working out. We began to plan for a house; at the start of the year, we dove into the loan pre-approval process and were one week out from being ready to make an offer when everything screeched to a halt. (Pt 1/5) At 13 weeks pregnant, I was told I would be laid off in 4 weeks. That was the day before this picture  was taken. Summer is going to look a little different for us this year. Baby Vega is due early September 🥰

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Blog Stats

  • 36,178 hits
Blog at WordPress.com.
  • Follow Following
    • Elizabeth Seeks
    • Join 122 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Elizabeth Seeks
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...