We were supposed to enjoy our last month on the east coast, to take advantage of the one month of spring weather we would get during our six months in Boston. We were going to go to Cape Cod, maybe head to Maine for a weekend. We were going to have an awesome visit with…
I thought this would be easier. I was ready to leave Ecuador. Two years in, I felt like Quito was truly my second home. Four years in, I was seriously ready to leave. My job was feeling stagnant–there was no room for growth or development. I hadn’t seen the entire country, but I’d visited enough…
Our first international vacation as a married couple, and the challenges and joys of our trip!
In March, Gonza and I had the opportunity to visit Cuyabeno, a wildlife preserve in the Amazon. It involved a seven hour bus ride, two more hours in a car, and two hours in a motorized canoe to arrive at the lodge. There was no cell service, electricity from solar panels, and plenty of hammocks….
Momipche, Playa Negra, Isla Portete, Rafting, and Laguna Azul with a great friend <3
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…
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…
(*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…
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…
Saturday evening found me sweaty and in tears. We had just been told that our reservation, which I had made a month or so in advance, had been cancelled, because we had shown up after the 4 pm check-in cut-off. This was after I had called the day before to confirm my reservation, and had…