Resolutions and the 365 project

It's my first time ever making resolutions, and I tend to be a more tangible goal setter...so most of my resolutions are measurable.

1. Start a Brigada Verde with the youth in my community (and focus on self-esteem and culture - music, language, traditions)

2. Communicate regularly with counterparts whether they like it or not.

3. Begin working on the other side of the river.

4. Hike to other communities and offer help (Alao Maguasu and Llullullis especially).

5. Make a sincere effort to learn Quichua.

6. Climb hard and climb safely.

7. Attempt to climb Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and Cayambe.

8. Try out environmental education programs in Yaruquies, Pungala, and Licto.

9. Buy a water tank and keep boiled water available upstairs at all times.

10. Practice breathing exercises daily to improve O2 saturation and lung capacity; 15-30 minutes minimum.

11. Have a plan of what I want to do after Peace Corps by the end of the year.

12. Carry a bottle of water everywhere instead of buying one.

13. Eat better.

14. Bring bags to grocery stores for shopping.

15. Make recycled crafts as soon as possible and show them to the women's group. Announce a craft day and time and stick to it.

16. Visit more volunteers' sites - maybe every other month.

17. Assume the best in people.

18. But don't be disappointed when they let you down.

19. Take multi-vitamins daily - at least B12.

20. Take a picture a day (365 project) and post them here when I can. Proba
bly 6 or 7 pics on Saturdays. So here it goes:

First picture of the year: a smattering of luxury - Breckenridge Christmas Ale, soy eggnog, billions of nice-smelling candles, and knitting a sock

Rocky didn't quite make it to midnight

My folks doing their thing as the TV celebrates 2012

Another shot of luxury: Breakfast at 'Egg Harbor' with my aunt Susie. I forgot to take a picture of my Belgian waffle... but... there it is. With Intelligentsia coffee... and hash browns. Goodbye U.S....

A teeny tiny puzzle completed today in an hour

List of all the exciting stuff I did in 2011

I...

-Moved to Ecuador to serve in the Peace Corps
-Started learning Quichua
-Took a tram ride in Quito to Guagua Pichincha (13,??? feet a.s.l.)
-Saw frigate birds in Bahia de Caraquez
-Climbed Pasachoa (13,something feet a.s.l.)
-Saw all the major mountains of Ecuador: Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Cayambe, Carihauyrazo, El Altar, Tungurahua, Imbabura, Sangay, Ilinizas, Pichincha, Ruminahui, Cotacachi, etc.
-Was sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer
-Knit 18 socks, 1 rug, 1 sweater, 2 hats, 2 mittens, 3 toy balls, 1 rag, 2 stockings, 2 gloves
-Read 30 books
-Was sick 7 times
-Saw Tungurahua explode (volcano #7)
-Found 6 geocaches
-Started a garden with peas, cabbage, radishes, carrots, beets, and potatoes
-Got a pet rabbit named Moo
-Started learning Nepali
-Took a train ride on La Nariz del Diablo (the Devil's Nose)
-Saw a bullfight in which the bull was killed in the end
-Got my cell phone stolen
-Attended lessons every Saturday to learn the quena, a pre-hispanic South American flute
-Climbed La Torre twice (14,200 feet a.s.l.)
-Saw a humpback whale jump completely out of the ocean
-Visited the Tsachilas, a coastal Ecuadorian indigenous people
-Ate a radish straight from my garden
-Reached 17,700 feet on Cotopaxi
-Got a kitten named Misi
-Saw 3 rodeos
-Found all my veggies except the peas stolen or thrown away
-Reached the crater rim on a snowy Imbabura (~14,400 feet)
-Got my personal journal stolen (every day recorded between August and October)
-Grew tomato plants in the high sierra
-Picked cacao
-Pet a tiny bat
-Saw Sangay volcano explode (volcano #8)
-Learned to crochet
-Climbed El Corazon (15,718 feet)
-Climbed Iliniza Norte (16,818 feet)
-Was in ashfall
-Went to the U.S. to visit for 2 weeks
-Rode a miniature train through a mall. YES. The proper way to end a year.

Northwest Herald

Thanks Northwest Herald for writing about the Peace Corps again! Check it out: http://www.nwherald.com/2011/12/29/cary-resident-home-from-ecuador-for-the-holidays/aykebtf/

And hello Chicagoland readers! :)

A better day

So still reporting from the U.S. in northern Illinois.

Started the morning with a quick interview with a Northwest Herald intern at Conscious Cup in Crystal Lake about service so far in the Peace Corps. Should be appearing tomorrow in the paper! Afterwards dad and I still had a lot of coffee left, so we sat around and talked for an hour. It was healing and at the end of our conversation, I felt a bit more optimistic. I asked randomly if he'd like to go to Evanston (a lengthy drive) just to check out one tiny store because it probably had the greatest likelihood of having Tibetan prayer flags - which I'm using to decorate my Ecuadorian room, despite the fact they should actually be hung outside. He jumped at it and said "Let's go!"

And our afternoon adventure began. We went home, hugged mom and went back out the door. First stop: His workplace, though it was mostly shutdown due to the holidays and lunchtime. Said a few hellos and continued on our way to Subway, getting a treat thanks to my family in Ohio!

Along the way we picked up just a few geocaches - those that were right along the road and quick to find - with a combined effort of his iPhone and my GPSr. 3 attempts; 3 finds.

Time was slipping so we skipped a bunch of other close caches and went right to the shop in Evanston. Despite its teeny size, it contained more books on Tibet, Buddhism and yoga than I ever thought existed. And what luck - they had strings of prayer flags.

Rush hour was fast approaching (present even during the holidays I guess) so we went almost straight home with a quick stop at REI to look at the clothes on sale and stare at climbing things to jog my mind and think if I needed anything. Nope. Pretty much set! Did find a small pair of my favorite pants of all time. It'll be nice to have pants that actually fit...

Right when we got home we rallied my mom and got ourselves over to Algonquin for some Indian food. Ohhh was I craving this stuff! The place was small, a bit crowded, and only had one guy cooking and one guy taking orders. Our order was... confusing. And didn't come quite as we'd planned. But it was tasty and I have a ton of leftovers. Though the price shocked me - for a small Indian place with ok food, I wouldn't have expected to pay almost half of what I get from Peace Corps each month to buy food and other necessities. I'm sure most Ecuadorians in my site would fall over backwards at such a price for just ONE meal.

Crazy.

Tomorrow: I fight the urge to run away from shopping. maybe.