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 […]
My Boys
Seeing Benjamin and Adam jettison themselves off the bridge nearly 400 feet above the rocks and river below, made my heart skip a beat. Fortunately the rope tied to their ankles held, and after a quick jerk they just swung back and forth like a pendulum on an old grandfather clock. The month prior Adam […]
Adventures Galore
We arrived in Ecuador on July 4th. Since then, we have not had more than a week in one place. During this time of extreme travel, we have had many adventures. Whale Watching: In Puerto Lopez, we took a 40 foot cruiser out into the ocean. The waves were large, and the boat rocked a […]
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, […]
Next Country: Ecuador
I walk through a narrow hallway, breathing in deeply. My suitcase trails behind me, rolling ever so quietly. I watch other travelers pass by us. Next I am standing in an “immigration” line. We get our papers checked, and a woman says, “Bienvenidos a Ecuador (Welcome to Ecuador).” I cannot believe that we are already […]
Nomads
When I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I have no idea where I am nor which way to turn. We are in the middle of a two month stint of traveling, experiencing the challenges and freedom of nomads. Carrying all of our belongings in backpacks and “immigrant sacks”‘ […]
Gracias Montaña
Carrie, Adam, Benjamin and I, along with our friends Patrick and Andreas from Sweden, two other visiting climbers, and guided by Adrian, summited Ccampa Nevado (18,015 feet). Using ice axes, crampons, and ropes, drinking in the little oxygen available, placing one foot in front of another, we were rewarded with an incredible sense of accomplishment […]
Hiking on the Other Side of the Ravine
I take a swig of water, feeling refreshed afterwards. I continue trekking for another 5 hours. This is how some of our hikes have gone. We have only hiked 3 or 4 times, but they have all been long. We had a 3 day trek into Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world. […]
Vida Normal (Normal Life)
Of course the tendency is to post articles about things new and different for us. Peruvian culture is very rich and the country is absolutely gorgeous. But every day is not exotic. Much of our life here is similar to life anywhere. “Vivir” means “to live” in Spanish. Many of our conversations include this term. […]
Life in Peru
We have been having a good time in Peru. It is a beautiful country with many sites to see. This past week, we went to Colca Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the world. It was a three day trek, most of it very steep. Some parts were straight up, others, straight down. On the […]
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