Ecuador: What I learned

 From climbing up quite a bit of mountain every day...

...I learned to value my body in terms of its strength and abilities.

From going five weeks without makeup...

...I learned to not be afraid of what I really look like.

From spending 40 hours a week with kids...

...I learned how crazy, wonderful, inspiring, creative, and loving children can be.

From making new friends...

...I learned that there are kindred spirits to be found in all corners of the Earth.

As with every journey I take out of my comfort zone, Ecuador taught me that I'm stronger than I thought, and my heart is bigger than I'd imagined. I learned that there is so much more for me to learn - about art, about language, about making the world a peaceful and happy place for all of its inhabitants. It was a life-changing five weeks, and it left me with a lot to think about.

Comida

We ate SO MUCH in Ecuador. We needed it!

Here's a lunch at school:

White rice, tuna with onions and tomatoes, potatoes with eggs. This was just the second course (soup starts every meal!) 

My last breakfast in San Clemente:

Scrambled egg, thick tortillas, herbal tea, fresh banana shake

My last dinner in San Clemente:

Potatoes, onions and tomatoes, faba beans, spinach, avocado, beef

My last meal in San Clemente, at a community potluck:

Beans, potatoes, bread, plantain, rice, salad

Everything was local, organic, fresh, delicious. That said, I never want to see potatoes or white rice ever again.

Belleza

San Clemente is a naturally gorgeous place. Here are some pictures of what I saw every day.

Check out the crazy cloud action below:

below: The view from the schoolyard. The city of Ibarra below and mountains in the back. The peaks in the center are all the way in Colombia.

Volver

After a long time away (from home and from the blog), I'm finally back!

I spent the last five weeks in the small community of San Clemente, Imbabura, Ecuador helping run a non-profit arts and culture camp for children ages 6-12. To read more about the camp, purchase artwork, or make a donation, click here. I'll also link to San Clemente's ecotourism website.

The prospect of blogging about my experience in Ecuador is sort of daunting. I have spent the 48 hours since my return talking nonstop about San Clemente and the kids at camp to anyone who will listen. I experienced and learned so much there that I couldn't possibly summarize it at all accurately here in nice digestible blogposts. But I will try!

Thank you for reading and welcome back to my bloggage :)