Ecua-Gring@ Miracles

Four more months to motherhood—only 20 or so more weeks before we get to meet our little ecua-gring@! Wow! It’s hard to believe that I’m already 20 weeks along! But then again, we’ve done so much in the last 5 months. Picture this: just 5 months ago, my husband and I were visiting the magical coastal village of Canoa in Ecuador while on vacation. There was a soft breeze, beautiful waves, warm sand under our toes, great people all around, a sense of peace that came over us in this magical place on Earth.

Tragically this past Saturday Canoa and many other coastal villages and towns in Northern and central Ecuador were destroyed after a 7.8 earthquake hit. Over 500 didn’t survive. Hundreds are still missing. Many more are injured and even more have lost their homes and businesses. Hundreds of aftershocks have occurred in the same area since Saturday and one early this morning was 6.2 on the Richter scale! We pray the rescuers can find more survivors today and that the aftershocks finally stop. I just can’t imagine the terror and trauma the survivors are living right now. It has been an extremely emotional week, to say the least.

One uplifting thing though, despite all the devastation and tragedy, is seeing how the Ecuadorian people have united to support the affected areas. Lines of people in the major cities form to provide donated items and caravans of donations are on their way to the Manabi and Esmeraldas provinces, which were most hardly hit by the earthquake. The Ecuadorian community abroad where I live in the Seattle area have come together quickly to put together a fundraising event this Sunday so all the proceeds can go to helping the victims of this tragic natural disaster recover and rebuild their lives.

Blogs and articles have been written about donation sites for those who are far away and still want to help. I know it’s still not enough because the damage is so massive, but it does fill me with a little more optimism and hope for the future for everyone affected by this disaster.

And this very same week on the homefront, our baby has started to tap! I wouldn’t call it a kick or jab yet, but just two nights ago I started feeling a tap-tap from inside, especially after eating something sweet. I know the baby has been moving all around for awhile now but he or she is finally big enough to tap me! Our little ecua-gring@. And tomorrow we get to see our baby on the ultrasound to make sure everything is developing well and to find out the gender!

So many different kinds of emotions, and add pregnancy hormones to the mix and you have one weepy mama here. And on top of it all, the many things I have been meaning to start doing during my pregnancy are starting to catch up with me—prenatal yoga, reading all those great holistic pregnancy books, reading more about bilingualism and child development, learning more lullabies, taking birthing classes, preparing for my maternity leave at work, going on more romantic dates with my hubby, organizing the house, starting my coaching business—eek! And all this is supposed to take place in the next 3.5 months—holy cow! That’s not that much time, is it? It’s amazing how fast 40 weeks can go by. Truly it is! It also helps me think about prioritizing because that is A LOT to try to get done in such a short amount of time when I’m also working full time, when we have a busy social and family schedule, when I’m offering my first stress management class in the community on May 1^st, when we’ve had visitors from Ecuador and New York over the past month, when we sometimes just want to (and need to) rest and relax and have a little fun. So staying realistic about how much I truly expect myself to accomplish while I only have a little over a month left in the 2^nd trimester and then the 3^rd trimester begins! Wow! It’s all very exciting though!

It’s really hard to describe the vast range of emotions I’ve felt this week—the roller coaster of fear, despair, horror, sadness with the news of the earthquake in Ecuador, and then hope and gratitude for all the support of the victims, and love and excitement filling my heart for the new life developing inside me. Wow. This is life, huh? The full range of it. The good, bad, ugly, beautiful, and miraculous parts of life.

Click here for more information about my upcoming class on creative stress management.

Letting Go and Starting Anew - A Year in Review

Each New Year’s Eve I like to look back at the past year and take some time to reflect and learn from all I experienced. Last Sunday I participated in one of my New Year's traditions. Five years ago, my dear friend, Julie took me to her family’s church for an end of the year burning bowl ceremony. It’s where you release what is no longer serving you and make room for the new. Ever since, I have looked forward to this ritual each December. 

This ritual reminds me of an Ecuadorian tradition to burn “anoviejos” at midnight on New Year’s. Anoviejos are paper mache figurines that represent the previous year and are burned to release the old year and start afresh. The anoviejos can be range from super heroes to even political figures. 

Although I probably won’t be burning an anoviejo this year, one of the best examples of letting go today may be with this blog post. I had just completed and hit “publish” on a beautiful post that I spent the morning working on just now and then lost it! Puff! Vanished into thin cyberspace air. Devastating to lose my creative work but then I began to shift my perspective and see what a lesson it is of the very subject I was writing about. We just have to keep going and start fresh again. Just like the new year. I’m sad to not be able to share my original post with all of you but I did save an earlier version of the content so I will do my best to start again. (Like in life, huh?) And tonight I will eat 12 grapes at midnight, another favorite Ecuadorian tradition of mine.

So here goes...

Almost a year ago, I officially started my journey to become a transformational life coach. (In reality, I had begun this journey years before as I researched ways to better manage stress and help people around as well.) I met some of the most amazing and caring people in my coaching class. I also gained the experience and confidence to offer more workshops and even facilitate a session at an in-service day for support staff where I work. Professionally, I also got a new job that’s closer to my home and is in a more supportive environment with a window that has a few of a protected green area where I’ve seen deer, coyote, and even an owl. 

We took several trips to fun places, both nearby and far away. Our travels took us to beautiful, tranquil Whidbey Island to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary, to Yakima and wine country to celebrate the last of summer, to Portland to visit close friends and their babies, to Grayland, WA for my dear cousin’s graduation party.

We also found a little piece of heaven on Earth in Canoa - Ecuador and up above the clouds of Quito - Ecuador as we visited many wonderful friends and family. 

Our friends and family took us to most amazing places in Ecuador, like a waterfall hike by the famous Otavalo marketplace, fresh fish in Salango for Thanksgiving after an adventure in driving down the Ruta del Sol on the Ecuadorian coast, standing at the Westernmost point of South America and watching the sea lions sunbathe, driving over the Andes Mountains in 3 hours through some of the most breathtaking countryside I've seen, getting a little lost in the valleys near Cuenca but in the end finding a delicious traditional lunch, playing with wonderful children. We are truly blessed to have had the chance to spend 3 weeks in our second home of Ecuador this year!

My husband, Geovanny and I went on beautiful nature hikes and drove late at night to stargaze and see supermoons, Venus and Jupiter, and even the Star of Bethelem! We enjoyed parties with friends and family in our still new apartment and spent time by my brother-in-law’s pool over the summer. I got to see and hear the amazing orca whales pass right below while staying in an incredible house on San Juan Island with dear friends from middle school. I went on my first business trip flying to Spokane for a conference and venturing to see my dad in beautiful Idaho one evening as well. 

I trained with my best bud, Emily to walk my first half-marathon in September. (We completed it in a little over 4 hours.) I decided to take out most gluten, corn, soy, caffeine, and sugar from my diet (that last one is still a journey though of course). And I no longer have to take allergy pills everyday as a result! 

I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity and Divine timing to say goodbye to one of my dearest friends, help her feel safe in her journey to Heaven, and hold her family in love and light. My faith increased as signs from my new angel friend graced the skies over and over again before and after her passing. I feel blessed to have captured so many in photos, as they serve as reminders to look up more often and trust in a higher power.

I didn't blog as much as I had set out to do, but I did participate in another Fun-A-Day challenge last January. (My first Fun-A-Day challenge in 2014 inspired me to post a little blog nearly everyday of the year that year!) In May I posted nature pictures everyday for about a month as a way to dedicate time just for me. I also added 18 mini-collages to my collage book.

So what's in store for next year? Stay tuned! It's sure to be a bright and promising 2016!

Inside My Anti-Stress Backpack

I first learned how to truly relax and let go when I lived abroad in Ecuador and started taking long, leisurely walks on the beach to work each day.  I was also intrigued by the more laid-back way of life in the small town where I taught English and learned to embrace this attitude wholeheartedly.  When I returned to the States though, I began to research ways to maintain that sense of peace and relaxation I found on the beaches of Ecuador and live a more relaxed life despite being in a sometimes chaotic, rushed and ever-changing environment back in America.  I feel it is important to keep a list of the tools I've found helpful in discovering ways to relax and find peace in a stressful world, and I LOVE lists!  So I have created a list of some of my favorite relaxation techniques as a way of sharing my research with others and reminding myself to follow my own advice during chaotic times.

1. Breathe.  Don't forget to breathe!  I am constantly reminding myself of this and counting to 5 before letting go of my breath several times can be enough to bring peace and calm to my heart and bring me back to balance in frazzled times.  If you have a hard time finding the time and/or patience to sit down and breathe more often, I found that practicing in a group was very helpful, such as in a meditation class or a mindfulness retreat.  I have also found excellent ideas in the Stress Management Guide from Elizabeth Scott, M.S.  

2. Allow.  This is a relatively new practice for me that I read recently from one of my all-time favorite authors, SARK (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) who wrote about the importance of allowing others to be as they are and not try or wish to change them.  Just reading this statement every now and then throughout my day has helped relax me and helped me focus on the only person I have any control over, which is myself.  I know, it sounds selfish or egotistical but I've learned that this is the best thing for everyone around you, to really take care of yourself and shower yourself with as much love as you can give.

3. Affirm.  I think one of the single most helpful ways of moving forward and letting my resilience shine through is by surrounding myself with positive affirming statements and quotes which inspire me to focus on all the wonder and beauty in my life. I have found many moving quotes and affirmations on the Beliefnet website, along with countless tips and strategies for moving past pain and finding balance in your life.  I also enjoy the uplifting messages I receive every morning from the Universe via TUT.  And on my iPhone, I get reminders every morning to read an encouraging and inspiring quote from Karen Salmansohn. After my second mindfulness retreat, I discovered an excellent mindfulness app for my smart phone called The Now and it sends me food for thought and things to try to help me stay in this present moment.  Since I often need constant reminders during busy, stressful times to stay afloat and in a positive light, these have really helped me.

4. Show Gratitude.  Often I see lists that state we must be grateful for all that we have, but I think it is even more effective if we show gratitude to others and to Mother Nature through our actions so we are putting gratitude in action.  Taking action and showing gratitude helps us remember the feeling that the action creates inside us and can help us relax into the present moment and thus feel grateful for all we have.  Also by focusing on all that we have, we draw more positive energy to ourselves. Oprah has written about this many times.  So I would challenge you, if you're already keeping a gratefulness journal to share one of the things you're thankful for with a close friend or someone you love. It could be simply be through offering a helping hand or being a compassionate listener to a friend in need or through a letter or message of thanks to express how thankful you are for having that person in your life.  But I know that sometimes I'm not in the mood to express my gratitude to another person so I think it can be just as valuable to pay homage or reverence to a beautiful tree, a gorgeous sunset, a colorful, cheerful bird, anything in nature that helps you appreciate this amazing planet in which we live.  I have said "hi" to mountains and little animals out in nature since I was a young girl.  At first I thought it was just something quirky that I did but now I know it was my way of paying tribute to nature and really appreciating all the beauty around me.  I have also found it helpful to publicly express my gratitude via social media sites, like Facebook, everyday for a month.  It helps build a habit of looking for something to be grateful for no matter what your day was like and helps shift your focus back to the positive.  Try to make a habit of showing your gratitude for life everyday.  I think it really does help.  (Now I just need to tattoo this to my arm so I never forget!)

I know lists can sometimes be overwhelming or feel like they're not enough to solve all our problems, but I find that coming upon different lists like this in times of struggle really do help me stay focused in the moment and as I continue to grow my knowledge of wellness and self-care, I add a helpful little something to my anti-stress backpack every time.

May we live life with ease.

Peace be with you.

Complexly Beautiful

In staying true to my Ecua-Gringa roots, today I would like to pay tribute to the complexly beautiful country of Ecuador, where I called home for four years of my formative young adulthood. I learned so much about life, the world, friendship, relaxation, tranquility and chaos while living in Ecuador.

These posts are from 2008 and 2010 but still ring true for me.

Reasons I love Ecuador:

I love that there are maps drawn on public walls, that from childhood Ecuadorian youth are taught about their country and its boundaries, and that people in Ecuador have a genuine curiosity for the world and where people are from. This could be in part because of territory disputes with Peru and because of the huge population of Ecuadorians living abroad in the U.S. and Europe.

I love the fact that you can just sit around and chat with people spontaneously—no need to plan a “get together,” you can get together with friends while you walk along the waterfront.

I love the fact that I’m never lonely in Ecuador. There are always good friends and family around to talk with me, entertain me, eat and drink with me.

I love how proud most Ecuadorians are of their country, despite its troubles in politics and economy, they love Ecuador and I do too. Along the same lines, I love how the entire country stops to watch the Ecuadorian national soccer team play. For example, when Ecuador played in its first World Cup in 2002, I was in Ecuador working at the Navy base and classes were postponed or cancelled so staff and students could watch the game! Of course they didn’t tell me that until I had already painfully missed the first part of the match while trying to get to work, a little peeved that they hadn’t cancelled.

I love how relaxed people are in Ecuador and how they relax me. Sometimes it drove me crazy because I’m American and need to be productive and always doing something, but it was such a good lesson to learn to calm down and “take it easy” and not worry about rushing to finish everything as soon as I could. “As soon as you can” isn’t a phrase I hear very often in Ecuador and if it is said, it’s definitely not meant with the same intentions as it is here in the United States. Phrases like “mañana” or “más tarde”—translating to “tomorrow” or “later” in English—I’ve learned really mean I’ll get to it when I feel like it or it may never happen. Once I understood this and stopped getting annoyed with people for not doing something when they said they would, once I stopped taking the words literally and placed what they said in an Ecuadorian cultural context, things started to slow down for me too and I didn’t stress out as much.

Originally posted on October 16, 2008.

The following post is actually a poem I wrote about the beach town where I taught English for three years after graduating from the university in the United States.  I also worked as a Fiora Vanti model (Hee hee! This title still brings a smile to my face! A great story for the grand kids, huh?), giving out free samples of a new Coca-Cola product on a makeshift island in the bay of Salinas. 

Salinas

Oh, mi querido Salinas, como te extraño
Extraño tu malecón, tu iglesia amarilla, tus bares y restaurantes
Extraño tu cevichelandia, tus taxi-rutas, tus edificios y calles
Extraño tus palmas, tu arena, tus canchas de volei
Extraño tus “mangos chupa mangos,” tu Pilsener, tus ricos encebollados
Extraño tu amistad, tus chupas, tus viajes locos a Montaña
Extraño tu gente, tus perros callejeros, tus lagartijas (pero no las cucarachas!)
Extraño tus caídas del sol, tu Mar Bravo, tus focas y surfistas
Extraño tus Patas Moradas, tus viajecitos en bote, tus ballenas (que no he visto todavía)
Extraño las sopitas, los batidos, los patacones y maduros fritos
¡Te extraño, mi lindo Salinas!

 

Originally posted on August 31, 2010.

Someday I may translate this poem, but I have found that the language from which my thoughts originate is much more genuine than trying to find the words in my other language.  It is great exercise for my mind though and quite a challenge trying to find the right words that express the same feelings I'm trying to express.

Writing is a comforting, creative way for me to relieve stress, and sharing my writing with you keeps me accountable to a greater purpose and creates a space for my reflections on wellness and life lessons.

My Second Home, Salinas

To cheer myself up today, on a dreary, rainy August Seattle day, I decided to write a poem about my beloved second home, Salinas in Ecuador. I should probably translate it into English someday, but for now, this is what came from my heart.


Salinas

Oh, mi querido Salinas, como te extraño
Extraño tu malecón, tu iglesia amarilla, tus bares y restaurantes
Extraño tu cevichelandia, tus taxi-rutas, tus edificios y calles
Extraño tus palmas, tu arena, tus canchas de volei
Extraño tus “mangos chupa mangos,” tu Pilsener, tus ricos encebollados
Extraño tu amistad, tus chupas, tus viajes locos a Montaña
Extraño tu gente, tus perros callejeros, tus lagartijas (pero no las cucarachas!)
Extraño tus caídas del sol, tu Mar Bravo, tus focas y surfistas
Extraño tus Patas Moradas, tus viajecitos en bote, tus ballenas (que no he visto todavía)
Extraño las sopitas, los batidos, los patacones y maduros fritos
¡Te extraño, mi lindo Salinas!

I am

I wanted to share a poem I wrote last week at an amazingly inspiring workshop created by the New Wilderness Project, a project to promote greater, more in-depth cultural competency around the country. The presenters and performers, Maketa and Benjie, shared and taught us many important lessons, but the key ones for me were the following:

• Think about your passions and how you bring them to your work and life
• Find balance with your passions and work
• Link creativity with nature/wilderness and social justice/equity work
• The importance of sharing our stories with each other as a tool for social justice
• It's about what we’re fighting for, not about what we're fighting against
• Speak your truth
• Remember anger comes from a deep pain
• There is no normal!
• Everybody has an interesting story
• The poet is in the poem
• Everyone is a poet…and a poem

Here is my poem:

I am from the era of iPhones, Facebook and reality TV
I am from the fun language of "Op" passed down by the women in my family
I am from the scent of raspberries and butterscotch at the neighbor's house on summer afternoons
I am from the kingdom of 5 cats and 1 dog, plus my mom and me
I am from Wednesday night dinners at Wendy's with my dad
I am from the wonderful day trips around the Sound that my mom took me on as a child
I am from the pristine waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and the Snohomish River
I am from the majestic Cascade and Andes Mountains towering above my homes
I am from the bustling Malecón in Salinas on a hot and humid evening
I am from the ceviche and patacones and canguil
I am from the swish of the waves all along the Pacific
I am from the sway of hips to salsa and merengue music
I am from the community of friends and family who take care of me while in paradise
I am from Everett...Ecuador

Story-telling

I've decided to collect some of the funny memories I have from my amazing times in Ecuador right here in this blog. I will eventually put them in order but for now, I just want them here for safekeeping and for your reading enjoyment. :)

SMACK Went the Lizard:
One of the first times I visited the beach town of Salinas (back in Spring 2000), I was over at a friend's aunt's house in Salinas and I saw a little lizard or gecko crawling up the wall. Right as I was saying, "Oh, is that your pet?", the woman went SMACK and killed the little lizard with a shoe! (I have a hard time not chuckling while writing this now, but it was definitely a little disturbing at the time!)

Cucarachas in the Fridge:
Another somewhat funny-somewhat horrifying story was when I first moved into an apartment in Salinas way back in Fall 2001, I didn't have any furniture and no refrigerator, which is a little challenging in a hot climate. (My roommates and I pretty much bought the food we needed to cook for that day and didn't have leftovers!) Within the first month though, my dear friend, Andres lent us his uncle's fridge which he wasn't using and was being stored in his back patio. I was so grateful to finally be able to keep milk and other perishable items at home! But about a week later, I heard a scream from the kitchen and my friend and roommate, Alli came out running--there were multiple cockroaches creeping out from under the refrigerator!! (It still makes my skin crawl to think about it!! Ooh, I just got the shivers!) I guess storing a fridge, even if it's empty, is not a good idea in tropical places, because they become shelters for you-know-whats! Eeww! Luckily after the fridge incident, the cockroaches I saw were mostly outside, not inside, but I usually freaked out or got grossed out when I saw them outside too. You just don't see them much in the Great Northwest so I'm not used to them. (Although I did see a big beetle that was border-line cockroach size) outside my condo here in Kenmore this past summer...ahh, climate change!)

Taking Joy in Little Excursions

Ever since I was little, my family would go on little excursions somewhat close to home but far enough away to feel like we were tourists and getting a break from our "normal" life. I remember traveling with my mom to Friday Harbor, Concrete, Port Townsend (I loved the camping trips to Fort Worden!), Fort Flagler, all over Whidbey Island, Mt. Rainier (when my mom drove in the middle of the road so she wouldn't get too close to the roadside cliffs!), Vancouver (BC), The Dalles (Oregon), Point Roberts (a very tiny tip of Washington that requires entering and exiting Canada to get to!) and so many other places, which really showed me and taught me a love of travelling, no matter where you go.

My dad also took me on excursions as a child to places like Twisp in the heart of the Northern Cascades, Florence (Montana), a small town covered by an ancient volcanic eruption in Alberta, and a weekend road trip to Northern California (just so I could say I had been to California!). A very fond memory I have growing up (in my expanding geography world!) was planning and navigating a trip we took to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming--way before the internet and GPS devices!

Through both of my parents's travel nurturing spirits, I became fearless in my travels as I grew older and I ventured to Ecuador multiple times to study and work abroad. Now that I think about it, one thing I missed at times while living and working in the small coastal town of Salinas were the weekend excursions. I didn't have a car and taking the bus could be difficult sometimes. I do have great memories of the excursions I did take--a visit to the Chocolatera where the water churns so much it looks like a chocolate maker, the beautiful wooden church at Colonche in the interior coastal forest north of Salinas, quick trips to Montanita were always a blast, and most recently going with a friend, fondly nicknamed "Abuelo," to the San Vicente thermal hot springs where I bathed in mud! Of course, I went on many other trips while in Ecuador to places far away, but really during my time living in Salinas, I could only afford the little excursions, which I still cherish.

Most recently, since I have been living in the United States for 5 years now (so hard to believe!), a way I cope with my "travel bug" and not being able to travel that often is by going on little excursions, sometimes to the same places my mom took me to years ago! I've found that it's really helped me get through stressful times at work or the nostalgia I feel for Ecuador and the relaxed lifestyle there.

Just this past weekend, I ventured up to Vancouver, British Columbia, where I hadn't been since high school when my mom and I went up to see a play. (Before that, when I was in elementary school, my mom and I took the train up to Vancouver to see Expo '86--and my mom would remind me to add that we left the tickets to the Expo in the freezer (don't ask me why the tickets were in the freezer) so we had to go a second time! :-)

Last month, my three college roommates and I went up to see the tulips in Skagit County and stayed in Anacortes. We didn't find tulips but the daffodils were in bloom and we had a wonderful time window shopping in La Conner, Fairhaven and Bellingham that weekend. And since I didn't get to see the tulips, my mom and I went up to see them later that month (in April) and had a great day trip, just like old times!

Even on a boring Saturday recently, I didn't have any plans so I decided to go to Snoqualmie Falls and because I had a coupon for a local brewery there, I ate dinner in the little town of Snoqualmie after hiking down to the foot of the falls for pictures and relaxation. I love day trips!

Last fall, in an attempt to have a trip to look forward to during a stressful period at work, I decided to go to Oktoberfest in Leavenworth, a small Bavarian town in the Cascade mountains, and had an absolute blast! I mean, how can you go wrong with a beer festival?! I plan to return this fall.

My love for little excursions was also enhanced when I got a summer job in college as a tour guide/activities coordinator for students coming to Seattle on a short-term study abroad program. I absolutely loved showing the students around and inventing different places to take them! I also enjoyed seeing the places I'd visited as a child through my young adult self's eyes.

All of these experiences combined have taught me to cherish the interesting places where you live and go and enjoy them! As I was just talking with a co-worker who said I'd been on a lot of little trips recently, she also commented that I'd probably be happy wherever I travelled. So true--the act of travelling itself makes me happy! And spending time with those I love.

Awakening the Dreamer--Changing the Dream!

Recently I attended an amazing, awe-inspiring workshop called "Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream" at my workplace on a special day dedicated to building community. The workshop was created by the Pachamama Alliance, originally inspired by the Achuar people in Ecuador and later continued by a group of people from across the globe who inspire others to work toward environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfillment. I would like to work on reducing my global/carbon footprint and on inspiring others to the same.

Environmental Sustainability:

• My first plan is to somehow get a composting bin for my workplace and if possible, for my home. So far I haven't heard back from the recycling guy at my work, so I need to contact someone else.


• My second plan is to not buy new things as often. For example, I have started buying clothes at consignment stores, not department stores.


• I support organic farming by receiving organic fruit and vegetable deliveries twice a month from Full Circle Farm in Carnation, WA (check out the Full Circle website to sign up) .

Social Justice:

• My current work as an advisor in providing almost free English classes to immigrants and refugees so that they can feel empowered in the community and obtain better jobs here in the U.S. is part of my fight for social justice.


• I also attended a workshop recently on the New Paradigms of Social Justice, facilitated by Theryn Kigvamasud'Vashti and hosted by the Northshore/Shoreline Community Network and CARE (Cultural Awareness Resources and Education) Team. We created a quilt which represented what social justice means to each of us. (The picture of the quilt is above.)
  

Spiritual Fulfillment:

• I take joy in being outside and I enjoy hearing the birds sing, watching the squirrels climb up trees, feeling the breeze in my hair, smelling the lilacs in bloom, touching the soft pussy willows before they turn into beautiful pink flowers.


• Currently I'm reading a great, short book by John Perkins called The Stress-Free Habit which explains how people around the world meditate and I plan to try meditation soon. First I have to figure out a good time and place.

I will continue updating this blog with more ideas for nurturing our relationship with the Earth, with Others and with Ourselves.

Reasons I love Ecuador:

I love that there are maps drawn on public walls, that from childhood Ecuadorian youth are taught about their country and its boundaries, and that people in Ecuador have a genuine curiosity for the world and where people are from. This could be in part because of territory disputes with Peru and because of the huge population of Ecuadorians living abroad in the U.S. and Europe.

I love the fact that you can just sit around and chat with people spontaneously—no need to plan a “get together,” you can get together with friends while you walk along the waterfront.

I love the fact that I’m never lonely in Ecuador. There are always good friends and family around to talk with me, entertain me, eat and drink with me.

I love how proud most Ecuadorians are of their country, despite its troubles in politics and economy, they love Ecuador and I do too. Along the same lines, I love how the entire country stops to watch the Ecuadorian national soccer team play. For example, when Ecuador played in its first World Cup in 2002, I was in Ecuador working at the Navy base and classes were postponed or cancelled so staff and students could watch the game! Of course they didn’t tell me that until I had already painfully missed the first part of the match while trying to get to work, a little peeved that they hadn’t cancelled.

I love how relaxed people are in Ecuador and how they relax me. Sometimes it drove me crazy because I’m American and need to be productive and always doing something, but it was such a good lesson to learn to calm down and “take it easy” and not worry about rushing to finish everything as soon as I could. “As soon as you can” isn’t a phrase I hear very often in Ecuador and if it is said, it’s definitely not meant with the same intentions as it is here in the United States. Phrases like “mañana” or “más tarde”—translating to “tomorrow” or “later” in English—I’ve learned really mean I’ll get to it when I feel like it or it may never happen. Once I understood this and stopped getting annoyed with people for not doing something when they said they would, once I stopped taking the words literally and placed what they said in an Ecuadorian cultural context, things started to slow down for me too and I didn’t stress out as much.

-Written on 10/16/08