Kelly vs. Pichincha.

Yesterday, we took a day trip to Pichincha, an active stratovolcano. Five of us woke up early so we could try to beat the crowds and possible rainy weather. When we arrived, we were the first group to ride up the gondola and we had amazing views of the city. 

At the top was a building with bathrooms, shops, places to rent horses, etc. but we had arrived so early the doors were chained shut. We took some pictures from the main lookout and began our hike up the volcano. People, this volcano was NO JOKE. The inclines were so steep and the air was so thin that even the tiniest step felt impossible. Not only that, I was carrying a backpack with enough warm clothes to last an entire Wisconsin winter. Michael was right when he told us to dress warm, the air felt like it was around 30 degrees fahrenheit, but I had packed so much stuff in my backpack (including a first aid kit and extra pair of shoes - oops) that after 30 minutes of climbing watching me struggle, the guys were offering to carry it. Such gentlemen! There was no way I was going to watch someone carry my idiotic backpack up a volcano. I made it about 40 minutes but after watching Sean carry my backpack up a steep incline, I decided to call it quits. Survival 101 "know thy limits". Normally, I would have pushed through and forced myself to the top but the altitude was on another level. Literally. Even when we weren't walking, I couldn't catch a full breath and my lungs felt like they were going to explode. I decided that realistically, I wasn't going to make it to the top that day so I wished them good luck and made my way back down. 

On the way down I crossed paths with a group of hikers from Germany whose picture I had offered to take earlier that morning. They had stopped for a snack and we enjoyed talking about our travels and the upcoming presidential election. One of the girls said she had hiked Pichincha three times but only made it to the top once. She cautioned against going up when it was foggy because it was easy to lose the trail. On multiple occasions, hikers have needed to be rescued from the top due to a sudden change in weather. Knowing this girl, who even looked like a hiker, had struggled to make it to the top made me feel like less of a loser for turning around. As I walked further down the volcano I passed a group of horses making their way up. See, now even I could ride to the top. 

(Zee Germans)

(Looking pretty cloudy at the top.)

Once I made it back to the lookout I settled in for a long day. On average, it takes about 3 hours to make it to the top so I knew I had some time to kill but the day was surprisingly entertaining. At first, I had the lookout completely to myself so I sat quietly and did some reflection.

Since I was sitting in such a prime location, I offered to take pictures for tourists/families who were otherwise taking selfies. Honestly, I'm probably responsible for over 200 Christmas cards this year. It was really fun meeting people from all over the world - Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada, Chicago, Dallas, Utah, Ecuador, Germany, etc. I guess I looked nonthreatening because people had no hesitation handing over their expensive cameras. One of the highlights of my day was watching someone's dad attempt to take a photo of her jumping in the air. I wish I were joking but I heard "one, two three, jump" over 1,000 times. Once they had the perfect jumping photo (45 minutes later) they proceeded to take another 1,000 pictures laying in the grass, sitting on the ledge, looking into the distance, every cliche photo you can think of. I was so glad I had a front row seat because it was hilarious. 

(Local musician)

Once I got sick of taking pictures for strangers, I found a quiet spot, used my backpack as a pillow, and took a nap. Normally, I wouldn't advise falling asleep in public in a foreign country but at that point I was wearing all the clothes I had packed and I had nothing of value in my backpack so I wasn't too worried. I forgot to reapply sunscreen and got horribly sunburned on my face but alas, hindsight is 20/20. 

(This is my "I just fell asleep on a volcano" face.)

After my nap I had about two hours to kill so I wandered into the main building which was now open and bustling with people. I ended up siting with two very attractive Australian guys and we swapped travel stories for about an hour. Twenty minutes after they left, I looked up from my empanada and saw the rest of my group. They looked completely exhausted but proud of themselves - I was proud of them too! Their descriptions of the rest of the hike only reassured me that I had made the right decision to turn around when I did. They described inclines so steep they had to use their hands for balance, uneven rocks at the top, and a descent that was so sharp, they spent half the time sliding down on their butts. "Ain't nobody got time for that!" Here are two pictures from Robby's phone near the top. Yikes.

We rode the gondola down and crammed into a taxi for a long ride home. All in all, it was a good day. I got some amazing pictures, met lots of new people, and can now say that I have visited an active volcano! 

Minga.

Last Sunday we had our first Minga. A Minga is an opportunity for volunteers and community members to come together and do some manual labor at a house owned by a Center family. The house we worked on was more of a foundation. There were four stories made of cement bricks and the outside walls hadn't been completed. Our first job was moving a large pile of sand from the second floor to the fourth floor using tiny shovels and old rice sacks. I started the morning shoveling and saved the stairs for later. While the temperature was mild, we were all covered head to toe in dirt and sand. Every time I shoveled a scoop into someone's bag, a cloud of dirt and sand came billowing back up. We used old rags and bandanas to cover our mouths but by the end of the day, our clothes were unrecognizable. Even though it was hard work, we were able to make it fun. There's something about intense manual labor that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time. We blasted some music and made our way through the first pile in about two hours. Once the sand had been transported to the top floor, we made our way to the backyard where an even bigger pile of dirt and rocks needed to be moved to the roof and back up to the second floor. A few volunteers used a bucket and pulley system to transport the gravel to the roof while the rest of us continued loading up rice bags and walking the cement stairs to the second floor. By mid-afternoon, I had been shoveling for a few hours and my back was on fire. I don't think shoveling would have been so bad if there were normal sized shovels but mine was sized for a hobbit and didn't even have a handle. Eventually, I threw in the towel and picked up a rice sack to join the transport team. Carrying 30-40 pounds of gravel in a rice sack up two flights of stairs in high altitude is about as fun as it sounds. Luckily, by the time I started the trek the job was almost complete so I really only made about 15 trips. After the last pile was complete, we went outside and played some soccer in the street. The ball was half deflated so that made for an interesting game but we had a lot of laughs and it was actually pretty fun. After the final goal had been scored, we rode the bus back to the center and relaxed for the rest of the day. 

(A view from the roof)

 (Yep, still digging)

 (Janie and David filling buckets for the roof team)

(Andrea working hard)

 (The tiniest shovel known to man)

 (Soccer)

The universal language of cooking.

Every night, the volunteers gather at 7:30 pm for a home-cooked meal. Thus far we have enjoyed tacos, lasagna, chicken, pasta, fish, spaghetti, grilled cheese with tomato soup, etc. Every meal includes soup, salad, fruit, and home-made dessert. There is always plenty to eat so we enjoy the leftovers for lunch or sometimes, in my case, breakfast. I have never experienced such instant regret like the time I ate leftover lasagna for breakfast and took a 45 minute bus ride through the city. Not. Great. 

Dinner is prepared by Antonia and Maria. Maria is currently on vacation so we have only been introduced to Antonia. When I have free time and smell something cooking, I like to wander into the kitchen and ask Antonia if she needs help. I laugh thinking about the first time we spoke because I later found out that instead of asking her "do you need help?" I was telling her "you need help." It's amazing what one letter can do. Antonia works very hard and has cooking for a crowd down to a science. I'm sure she could finish any job she gives me ten times faster than it takes to explain how to do it but she has been so sweet to let me impose. 

I'm happy to accept low profile jobs like peeling carrots, cutting cucumbers, washing lettuce, and opening jars. The large wooden kitchen table gives us enough space to work quietly across from one another and every now and then I'll see her glance over to make sure I haven't cut off one of my fingers. As I make my way through the vegetables, I ask her "esta bien?" and she'll smile and nod. It would be pretty difficult to mess up carrots but where there's a knife, there's a way. I love watching Antonia cook and even though we aren't carrying on a conversation, I find that the language of cooking is universal.  

(Not the greatest subtle picture but you get the point.)

A walk in the clouds.

As part of our orientation, we were invited to see where three of our Center families live. We took a long bus ride up the mountain then walked about a mile up a steep dirt road. The air was thin and the sun felt hot but overall, the weather was nice. Similar to where we live, the majority of the buildings were covered in graffiti and everyone stared as we passed. While I felt safe walking with a large group, I would never venture to this area alone.

We passed many houses that were either abandoned or in ruins and the neighborhood was completely overrun by dogs. Throughout Quito, it's common to see stray dogs roaming the streets but here, there were hundreds. As we walked through the neighborhood the dogs barked and growled, warning us to keep our distance. There were dogs running through the streets, pacing the cement rooftops of abandoned houses, barking behind fences, everywhere. Their fur was mangey and their eyes appeared orange. It was like something out of a movie. We kept our distance and for the most part, so did they.  

When we arrived to the first house, we were greeted by a young family with five small children. The dad was extremely personable and welcomed us with open arms. The walls of the house were made with cement blocks and the floors were mostly dirt. The roof looked like it was made of tin and the windows remained shut. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for families here to live without electricity or running water and this house was no exception. Often, families will run their own wires so that they can access electricity but every so often, the electric company will come and cut them. Everything this family owned was covered in dirt and appeared to be falling apart. My heart broke thinking about anyone living here, even more so when I thought about the small children. It's hard to write about what I saw because I don't want to sound like I am passing judgement, I'm not. I do however, feel it's important that people know how blessed they are. So often we take our health, family, homes, education, etc. for granted. Despite the dire living conditions, the dad talked at length about how grateful he was to be part of the Center and to have a job. He told us that as long as they have a roof over their head and food to eat, they were happy. 

When it was time to leave the first house, we had to take a detour because there was a pack of wild dogs that had taken over a part of the street. We walked back down the mountain to another house that was even harder to see than the first one. The house had two rooms. The first room had a dirt floor, some miscellaneous items, and a stove. The second room had two beds and a television. The roof didn't fully cover the side of the house and the family told us that when it rained, it rained down the walls and into the house. This family was temporarily living there because they had been displaced by the earthquake. 

The third house we visited had a small puppy named "Oso" meaning "bear". The kids played with Oso while we spoke with the parents. One of the women that had been walking with us all day was carrying a baby in her arms. A few of us took turns holding her so we could give her mom a break. I was tired just from walking up and down the streets, I can't imagine doing it every day with a baby. As we walked, I struck up a conversation with a young girl named Emily. I recognized her because she was wearing the same clothes as the day before. My Spanish is still very basic so we stuck to easy topics like "what is your favorite color" (pink), "what is your favorite food" (pizza), and any other piece of smalltalk I could think of. While I'm starting to understand more Spanish by listening to the locals and the other volunteers, it's still intimidating for me to speak. I love practicing with the kids because they are patient and sweet. By the end of the day, our clothes were covered in dirt and we were all tired. I washed my shoes in the sink and lay down to take a nap.

Even though it was heartbreaking to see people living in these circumstances, it's important that we know where our students are coming from. Can you imagine assigning homework to a student that has to ride the bus for an hour just to get to school and return to a home with no electricity, no running water, and probably no place to even do homework? During orientation, they teach us that poverty here isn't circumstantial. This means that families aren't poor because one parent lost a job and they are just going through hard times. Families here have been poor for generations, it's all they know. The goal of the Center is to give these families the resources they need to help themselves. There are so many incredible programs here and I can't wait to write about all of them but for now, I ask that you take a minute and count your blessings because we are truly....truly blessed. 

Home sweet home.

This morning I finally unpacked and organized my room. Here are a few pictures! I didn't include my bathroom because it's a mess but if you've seen one bathroom, you've seen them all. 

(Look at those majestic jaguars)

(More storage space than I know what to do with)

Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

The past three days have gone by so fast, I can't believe I'm finally here! Friday was a complete whirlwind running last minute errands, spending quality time with my family, and to my sister's dismay, four hours of late night packing. Erin, you are a saint for not running out the door screaming when you saw my messy room and three empty suitcases, I couldn't have done it without you!

My parents brought me to the airport and to no one's surprise, both of my bags were too heavy. The first, by two pounds and the second, by one. In my defense, Erin and I had weighed my bags multiple times the previous night but the scale showed a different number every single time. So, in the middle of the airport, I opened my bags and started pulling stuff out. Since I didn't have a weight limit on my carry-on, most of it just went in there. In the end, I ended up sending a bottle of mouthwash and a sweater home with my parents - not bad, not bad at all. 

As we walked to the first security checkpoint, I was feeling ALL the emotions. Don't get me wrong, I was really excited for my year to start, but I was also completely terrified. I put on a brave face as I hugged my parents goodbye and smiled while they walked away but as soon as I turned to see if they had left and I saw my dad across the airport making sure I got through okay, I completely lost it. TSA must have thought I was completely mental but I didn't care "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to." 

To avoid making a scene and scaring the small children in front of me, I pulled myself together and made it through security. Both of my bags were pulled aside for inspection. My hiking backpack for "Cards Against Humanity" and my purse for a roll of quarters. Lame. 

(I still cannot believe this fit in the overhead compartment.)

Once I found my gate, I had about an hour to just relax. The flight from Milwaukee to Atlanta was just under two hours and the flight from Atlanta to Quito was just under five. I wasn't able to sleep on the plane but I did watch some good movies and ended up sitting near two girls who were also teaching in South America. One of the girls had been to the Working Boy's Center a few years ago - small world!

I arrived in Quito around 10:30 pm and made it through immigration and customs without a problem. Madre Cindy, one of the Center directors, was waiting outside of customs with a big smile and a sign with my name on it. As soon as I saw her, I was able to relax. I was introduced to Julia, a fellow volunteer who had arrived an hour earlier, and John, one of the orientation leaders. Madre Cindy bought us all a bottle of water and we waited for Janie (another volunteer) to arrive. Janie's plane had been delayed so Julia, John, and I brought our bags to the truck and waited until just after midnight. Once Janie had arrived, we took a 45 minute drive through the Andes mountains to the Center. Since it was so dark out, we couldn't see much but the lights were pretty and the roads were smooth. 

By the time we got to the Center it was after 1:00 am so we did a quick tour of "the essentials" and went straight to bed. The Center is absolutely huge! Once I officially unpack I will post some pictures of my bedroom and the rest of the Center. Since our first day was Sunday, we had the whole day to rest and relax. Sundays we are on our own for food so I wandered down to the kitchen and grabbed what turned out to be a piece of apple pie. Breakfast of champions. There are three refrigerators fully stocked with fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, etc. so we will never go hungry. After breakfast, the volunteers decided to explore a local market. We walked though aisle upon aisle of vibrantly colored scarfs, blankets, jackets, hats, trinkets, etc. The vendors were all very nice but it's a little overwhelming being approached by everyone. Also, being a tall, blonde, white woman makes it pretty hard to blend in.

(Photo credit to Ariana.)

Next, we decided to walk to a local park. The weather has been beautiful so far - sunny but not too warm. It's taking a little bit to adjust to the altitude. While I haven't had a headache yet, I'm completely winded walking up a flight of steps. Everyone says that's normal and to just take it slow until you get used to it. 

(photo credit to Isa)

The park was huge with multiple playgrounds, vendors, and families just out and about enjoying the day. The vendors were selling artwork, fresh fruit, jewelry, corn, etc. One of the things that's hard to see is the women selling candy. They are typically dressed in traditional clothing and they usually have a small child with them. Recently, child labor was banned in Ecuador which put a larger burden on the parents to support the family. We learned a little bit about the ripple effect this has had during orientation but I want to learn more before I can speak to it.  

Once we finished exploring the first park, we walked about two miles to another one. This one was even bigger with multiple fields for soccer, volleyball, basketball, bike polo, and yes, CrossFit. What they were doing didn't really look like CrossFit but that's what the sign said so that's what I'll call it. We stopped to get some food and I bought a delicious empanada. When it was time to head home, it took us about 30 minutes to find the right bus but it was so nice outside that we didn't care too much. Many of the volunteers speak fluent Spanish and a few have even been here before with their high school or college so it's nice to have them leading the way. 

Monday was the start of orientation. We gathered in "the round room" and discussed what it means to live in community. So far, everyone has been very nice and fun to be around but I'm sure at some point during the year, living in community will at times be frustrating so it was nice that we were able to set expectations early on. 

After a few more discussions and ground rules, we were able to tour the rest of the Center where we will be teaching. The Center has two campuses, we live at the first one and the second one is downtown. Right below us is a bakery, salon, restaurant, and furniture store. All of these places help bring in income to the Center. The Center also makes toys, soap, chocolate, jewelry, clothes, metals, etc. Again, with the child labor laws changing lots of classes here have changed but I will explain more of that later. 

As teachers, we have a resource room with lesson plans, books, school supplies, and anything else needed to teach. In the middle of campus is a dirt soccer field where a bunch of kids were running around having fun. We walked through the cafeteria which serves about 2,000 meals a day and everything smelled delicious. 

After the tour we were given the option to relax for a bit or go to church. I decided to go to church and I'm so glad I did because it was really exciting seeing more of the families. During our tour of the Center, a little girl ran up to me and threw her arms around my legs giving me a big hug. She was literally the cutest thing ever. We ended up sitting in front of her family during church and at one point, I could feel her stroking my hair. I just laughed - there's not too many blonde women here. She ended up scooting in next to me on the bench and we exchanged smiles until the end of mass. 

We were on our own for lunch again so I made a salad and cut up some fresh pineapple. After lunch we walked to the mall which is about three times bigger than Mayfair Mall. Anything you need, you can buy there. Later, we played a game of Monopoly and I won (miracles do happen!) Tonight is our first home cooked meal, it smells delicious and I'm excited to try it! There's so much more I will write about but for now, I will leave you with the view from my bedroom!

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Words cannot describe how grateful I am for these past few weeks. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Your love and support mean everything. I have been completely humbled by this experience and I will take your prayers, kindness, and encouragement with me to Ecuador. 

I started the dreaded packing process this morning. Up until now, I have been "thinking about" packing and filling in where I need to, but I haven't physically tried to shove everything into a suitcase yet. With less than one week to go, I guess there's no time like the present! 

I keep having nightmares that I'll get to the airport and they'll tell me I have the wrong date, or I'll make my connecting flight but somehow end up in Tokyo, or I will forget something important like my visa and instantly be deported. However irrational they might be, these are my fears. 

On a more positive note, I have been able to connect with the other volunteers whom I'll be living/working with and they all seem like really cool people. What a relief :P Most of the volunteers are recent college grads so I'll be the old lady, but I promised them I'll stay up past 8:00 pm. On weekends. Maybe.   

As I begin saying my final farewells, I wanted to say one more time how grateful I am. If I missed giving you a hug - I will have two for you when I return! Thank you, thank you, thank you.