New Project, New Outlook

Today was an interesting day. I thought I was going to the Aldea to attend a meeting with a new group we were going to be working with, however, as things go here in Ecuador or just Peace Corps in general, the thing you thought you were doing that day turns out to be something completely different.

I show up at 3:00 as instructed the day before by my counterpart/director Raul. When I arrive everyone is dressed to impress and leaving the Aldea. I go to the office to inquire about Raul and the meeting we have. Turns out Raul has left for a trip until next week and they have no clue what I'm talking about. They tell me to go on the field trip with the rest of the kids instead. So I go...

Turns out the "field trip" is the "meeting" I was supposed to attend all along, but the surprise continue...

We take a bus to Tonsupa and arrive at a place called Via Via. Turns out Via Via is a hostel that has does social projects as well! Via Via is partnering with La Aldea to do projects with the kids of the Aldea ages 7 to 17! As the head guy was explaining the project he kept saying my name! He kept calling on me to do different tasks and follow ups. I was fine with it but I was just surprised that he knew who I was and what my role with the Aldea was. Always surprised here.

It was just what I was hoping and praying for. I wanted to be more involved with the youth in a more sophisticated way now that I got my extension, but I was feeling stretched thin and short or resources. Now I have a facilitators to work with, I'll be with the kids I've built a rapport with and it's a long term project so we are going to be able to set goals and realize them...which is my most favorite thing to do!

I'll be working late though, 7 pm, and from my Guayaquil training I know better than to be out after dark...but the last group is the jovenes (teens) and I want to work with them the most, granted, they can be the most challenging sometimes. I am also responsible for getting them home safely which if it's going to be challenging if every night is like tonight. The girls were begin fast, talking to the men in the streets who were whistling at them, the boys were all over the place grabbing the girls or running away to the beach, sigh....

I really am happy, nervous, excited, hopeful and optimistic about this next chapter....I'll keep everyone in the loop!

The News You've Been Waiting For...

I GOT THE EXTENSION!!!

My New Close of Service (COS) Date is September 19, 2012!

What does it all mean?

Alright what it means is that I will be staying in Sua and I will continue working for La Aldea. (stoked!) Long term projects here I come!

It also means that Peace Corps will pay to send me home for a month to visit friends and family as "reward" for continuing my service. This month actually is required which is why the date is in September and not August.

I have already chosen my month to be in October when we are having a huge birthday bash for my grandma's 90th bday and I'm having a college reunion that month also.

There are several of us that extended or got PCVL positions and many are my good friends, so it's going to be great to still have my buddies in country with me.

Alas, inevitable there are others that are leaving, some got special permission to leave as early as June, que pena.

It's the end of era for sure. Omnibus 102 as we know it is coming to a close. People are leaving as early as June 21st and others of us are staying until September 2012.

Our COS Conference was bittersweet, but we are always so happy to get together it was hard to be sad. Plus, we have more time together so we were never sure if this goodbye was THE goodbye.

What I have learned in life is that when you think you'll never see someone again, you end up bumping into them...so as I give people hugs and kisses, I try to think of it as see you later, not goodbye, because you never know when you may run into each other again.

Since I was given the week off for COS and I'm in such a good mood I think I'm going to go beach camping to celebrate!

Thank you so much for all of your support!

...was working on my Extension Application and came across this post from November of 2009!!!

It's crazy the stuff I was projecting and predicting. It's a great lesson in living in the moment, living in the "Now" and to not sweat the unpredictable shadowlands of tomorrow.

What I thought I was doing in May is a program that doesn't even Exist anymore! I had no clue I would consider staying. I had no clue I would have by this time gone through a site change, met new people, be six months into a new project and living in the Province of Esmeraldas. A whole region of Ecuador I had never even been too!

When people say "you never know..." It's so true. I could have never predicted my future, and I'm see how everything happened perfectly just as it should, the good and the seemingly not so great.

Of course as service comes to a close I feel myself anxious about the future when really all the options I'm weighing would leave me super feliz, so why be anxious! Finding this post also helped me realize that even though I have a Choose Your Own Adventure thing going on in my head with at least 3 awesome outcomes there are in reality 1 million+ possible outcomes and I need to be open and ready to receive them all. God hasn't let me down so far and I know that won't be happening anytime soon!

So adelante with these applications and I will report on COS conference when I get back in two weeks!

Vilcabamba

Just got off of the bus yesterday and Wanted to get his post out soon after my trip since I have a busy week this week so here goes...

The journey was an epic one by bus. Vilcabamba is on the complete opposite end of Ecuador from where I live now. I was due in Vilcabamba for a meeting of the working group I'm on GAD. I didn't realize how far away it was when we agreed it was okay to meet there. Turns out 3 of us living in the Province of Emeraldas and it was a FAR journey for us. However, I don't think I would have made it to the "Valley of Longevity" without the call to the meeting.

Vilcabamba has the reputation for having people live for up to 120 years, which is why it is known as the "Valley of Longevity". I couldn't wait to see it in all of it's glory.

After taking an 8 hour overnight bus to Guayaquil, a 5 hour bus from Guayaquil to Cuenca another 5 hour bus to from Cuenca to Loja and another hour bus to Vilcabamba we had arrived.

Everyone stayed at the fabulous hosteria of Izcayluma which is owned by a couple of German brothers. It was a BEAUTIFUL location with fabulous perks. It had a pool, private and dorm rooms, free breakfast, helpful staff, the list goes on. I would definitely recommend this place if you go to Vilcabamba. Plus we were there for a meeting as I said and it was a great location for groups to meet be it on the hammock laced patios or the welcoming restaurant with a fabulous view.

We spent a lot of the time in the Hosteria since it was such a great open aire space to be. However we DID venture down to the town square. For me this is when things took a turn.


The main square is pretty much overtaken by people that are not from Ecuador! It was a shock. Most of the people we met were from Europe or the United states. People have opened smoothie shops (with deliciously healthy smoothies), bought and started owning hotels and land. It went from a shock to a feeling of discomfort for me when I found out about some of the people and it didn't seem like they were there to enjoy the Ecuadorian culture and explore what has made this the land of Longevity but instead people just taking advantage of the situation. Some people we found that lived there for years hadn't bothered to learn any of the language. This always rubs me the wrong way just because as English speakers especially we always expect other people to speak English and usually without an accent. It seems somewhat imposing to move to a place because you like what they have to offer but yet aren't willing to stretch and learn what you can about the culture.

Hey learning Spanish is Hard I get it. My Spanish after 2 years is not great, BUT it has improved and it would be hard no to if your'e interacting with the locals because when your submerged in a culture you pick it up. So what that says to me is people are moving there but then moving the local people out. The restaurants were more expensive and things seemed targeted to a more European/American culture food wise as well. No almuerzos or comida tipico.

Don't get me wrong it was enjoyable, but at the same time as a group that has been trained to ingrate and we have lived with local families and know how they think and feel, you start to take that on yourself and almost identify with them more than people who come from the same country you do!

I was very sensitive to the fact that the money these people were making didn't seem to be going back to the local community. Higher prices for food and for a place to stay mean soon the people are born there can't afford to stay there and are wedged out to the margin and Vilc becomes an elite exclusive environment. Am I jumping to conclusions? Maybe, I tend to, but I think everyone in the situation could benefit if both parties worked together. The Ecuadorians and the Expats. However, as one volunteer was telling me, he knew an Ecuadorian man that was selling his farm land to retire to Cuenca. He said he could sell i to another Ecuadorian but he'd rather wait for a Foreigner to offer him twice what it's worth and live off of that.

Soooo everyone has to be on the same page of preserving and respecting the culture so that both parties can live harmoniously. This was just my outside view and opinion by the way I don't want to be negative, but I don't want to see something so beautiful and pure be robbed, or dashed because people didn't think of preservation.

All in all (rant over) the trip was great, Vilcabamaba was Beautiful. I wish we had more time to enjoy the sites and hikes but we were working and I don't know when I'm going to get on a bus for that long again! I know I will go back though because I met some great people and wonderful artisans that I would like to buy jewelry and souvenirs from.

I would recommend Vilcabamba for it's beauty and nature, and if you're looking for an authentic Ecuadorian experience the people of the town are there, just outside of the main square. The people in the town that have started businesses are groovy peaceful as well, it will just have more a touristy feel but also a positive warm experience.