So here we are with about 6 months to go and I am thinking about extending...Yes sir you heard it right! After all the tough times, tears, and silly moments I want to stay and do it again for another year!
Life back Home
Things have been going well at Runa and Archidona. I went home for three weeks for my best friends wedding the beginning of October.
Thar She Blows!!!
Before that I went to Puerto Lopez with the lovely Elizabeth Glass, Oscar Veloz (my new fella), Helen mujer, and the Omn bus 105 clan (well some not all). It was AMAZING to say the least. I've never seen a whale, aside from Animal Planet, and to be literally 5 feet away from a group of them was an unbelievable experience. I will never never forget it. The beach was amazing and Puerto Lopez is a lovely little laid back community on the beach where one can lay back in a hammock, drinking overpriced beer, and relax to your hearts content (or until your money runs out). I hope to go back for another visit in the near future.
Me and Elizabeth at La Isla De La Plata
Oscar taking in some sun
La Isla de la Plata
Blue-footed Boobies!
We found star-fish!
Work and Ecuafamily Life
Before that I finished my big project with Runa in August. I don't know if you followers remembered but I was head leader of the needs assessment surveys for the Fundacion. Basically it was like CAT Tools on steroids. I went into over 50 communities and interviewed over 300 farmers since August of 2011 to August of 2012. Thanks so much to all you Runa Interns out there by the way for all your help, input, patience, laughs, and humor. You made it much more pleasant and adventurous experience! Anyway we presented the data (whooo it was a lot!) to the CEP (Comite Ejecutivo de Productores de guayusa). It felt like such an accomplishment to have finished after going out to all those communities and talking to all those people and finally being able to put it all together and hand it to the CEP and say here are the voices of your fellow members this is what they want. Well, whether they really looked it over seriously or not it was still a great feeling for me.
Now I am hoping to work more on agroforestry projects with the local farmers and the Fundacion. I really am going to get on the ball and make an effort to do this at least once or twice a month. Helen and I are also starting gardening charlas with the kids in a community near archi. Hope that works out as well.
As for family and friends here in Ecuador they are pretty darn awesome! Days off are just awesome spending time with fellow volunteers, going to the river, seeing monkeys, feeling comfortable enough in our own surroundings to really get out there more and explore. It only took a year and a half! Although where I live its hard to leave...I'm pretty much a site rat.
Baby BBQ time!
Oscar and Elizabeth trying to figure out the 'baby' BBQ
This little guy was a real sweetie!
Aby, Oscar, y Yo and of course our little friend Alex!
A Tigre!
Spider Monkey
Me with the Tarpirs family!
Oh my birthday was awesome this year too! Elizabeth made me a cake! So far I like being 27 and I still have a ways to go with it but I am curious to see how 28 treats me on year three. I guess you guys will just have to wait a year to find out!
Aliana and Oscar at my Birthday!
Cake and singing are the best parts of Birthdays!
And the second best is getting your face smashed in your cake! Yay!
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