2015-05-27
My town is the brick-making capital of Ecuador. Walking along the cobblestone and dirt roads, I’ll pass assembly-lines molding clay and cement into uniform rectangles, and giant ovens constantly billowing plumes of smoke that smell of fresh roads after rain, old schoolhouses, and other vaguely intangible sentiments. If you are anything like me, you probably...
Read More2015-03-31
I expected to leave this experience feeling stronger. When I envisioned myself towards the end of my time here, I pictured a fierce and unwavering spectrum of a human being, undoubted by whatever may be thrown her wayÛ_basically, a crossover of Cat Woman and Erowyn from Lord of the Rings. However, here I am with...
Read More2015-02-18
January 16th, 6:30 a.m. I woke up the morning of the climb feeling sick. After being pulled out of bed at sunrise by my always well-meaning, if not a little over-bearing, host father, I found myself slinking back to the refuge of my covers less than twenty minutes later with a acidic pool of caf̩...
Read More2015-01-07
If there’s one thing I have plenty of here, it’s symptoms. Gathered with any other friend from Global Citizen Year, usually perched over an indulged cappuccino in a gringo cafÌ© in Riobamba, the topic inevitably floats into conversation. We file through our symptoms as we might flick through the synopses of this week’s episodes of...
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2014-11-14
Three days after moving into a small farmhouse perched in the foothills of the Andes in Chimborazo, Ecuador, I descended our spindly dirt driveway in my first attempt to go on a run. I bopped along to the infectious drum line of Paul Simon’s Obvious Child, passing grazing cows, clusters of indigenous women hauling impossibly...
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2014-10-30
**Written September 18th, delayed posting due to technical difficulties** While discussing our plans for the upcoming weekend with my host sister, I mentioned how sad it was that I would be leaving their family soon. She looked at me and smiled wistfully, shook her head and said, “Three weeks is not a very long time...
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2014-08-13
It rained today. Coming from Oregon, this really isn’t the most exciting news; but today’s rain was different. It was the kind of rain the grows steadily in the air for days before hand – making your bones heavy and your fingertips crackle with electricity. When the first swollen drops plummeted from the sky, soon...
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