Settling in on Lover’s Loop
After two years of sojourning, we are finally settling into a home. The first year of course, was physical travel in South America. 2013 was a mental shift, as we reentered American culture and our hometown of Asheville, NC. The year in an apartment sufficiently met our needs for shelter and security, but it never […]
heArtfully Searching
Sojourning at home is not quite the thrill as traveling the globe. It feels more like being lost in your own kitchen. 8 months into our re-entry and I’m still wandering, seeking meaningful work and my place within the Asheville community. I’ve had several people tell me that I’m fishing in a pond too small […]
An End, A Beginning
Our sabbatical year is officially over. The fact that we are sad to close the circle is but a sign of the incredible year it has been. As we completed moving our household belongings out of storage, and into a new apartment, an odd but cleansing feeling washed over me. We are rested, we are […]
What’s the GIVE?
GoGiveLearn. Looking back through our blogposts, I realize that there is adequate (but not complete) representation of Go: where we went, what we saw, and how we experienced immersion into another culture. There are bits of Learn, but far more to come as we we apply new skills in our home, schools, and workplaces. (Stay tuned […]
My Bubble of Peace
Approaching a month since we left Ecuador, our re-entry to North Carolina has been smooth and easy in many ways, yet challenging in others. It’s hard to believe (as I look out at snow-dusted forest) that just weeks ago we were swimming in the Cuyabeno River in the Amazon. I have posted the photo album […]
ReEntry, ReNewal, ReFocus
Home, but not fully. Familiar, but strange. Comfortable, yet unable to relax. This is our first week back in the States after a 10-month sabbatical. Of course we are thrilled to see family and friends. We have been received with warmth, love and hospitality. Thank you! With gratitude for so many people in our lives, […]
Capturing Life, Preserving Memories
I awoke to soft pitter-patter on the rooftop, looked out my bedroom window, and saw the warm glow of a new day. There was no rain. When I looked out the kitchen door on the other side of our house, I was reminded of the big volcanic boom that had awoken me hours earlier. And […]
Day of the Dead
Never before have I experienced a day quite like Dia de Los Muertos. In the week preceding November 2, I asked several people, “What happens on Dia de Los Muertos?” “People visit the cemetery.” Simple Enough. As it turns out, the whole week leading to Nov. 2 was one of preparation for this very important […]
They Marched off in Uniforms
Every year is different, but somehow the same. Though I didn’t shed tears, this morning I had that same hole in my gut that I had when I dropped them in nursery school the first day. Are they ready? Will they be okay? Are they scared, nervous, or insecure? My anxiety ramped up a notch […]
At Home in Baños
Finalmente! After nearly six months of travel, we are planting our feet in Baños. Out of several cities we visited, we chose this one to live in for the remainder of our time in Ecuador. We hoped and prayed that all the pieces would come together for us to settle here. And they have. Adam […]
Travel Savvy, Travel Weary
We have lived out of suitcases for five months now. I can’t count the number of beds we have slept in, nor the buses we have boarded. The experiences are rich; the lessons many. People we have met along the way represent a variety of lifestyles: urban, rural, traditional, modern. Still, the core of the […]
Gracias Amigos
Old friends, new friends, passing friends, friends for life. This year is a crazy mix of brief interchanges and reunions with a variety of people. We have just said goodbye to our dear friends, the Mims, who came to visit us in Ecuador for their vacation. Our time with them was a gift, a blessing, […]
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