Ya mismo

"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways."

Elizabeth Browning

I have fallen in love with Ecuador.  It is not just the place I adore, but also the people.  And along with the people, I appreciate the way life is lived down here.  Ecuador has shown me a slower pace of life and an existence where I can reflect on what is meaningful. The best way to describe it is "Ya mismo" which means it will happen, but perhaps not right away.  It's a South American attitude which has taught me to take off my watch, let go of structure, slow down, kick back and simply enjoy time.  

Living in the tropics, with the Pacific Ocean as my horizon, I have been blessed with quality time with my family and gathering together with friends. I have had an existence in touch with nature and contemplative moments alone. The last three months have been time filled with the abundant flavors of Ecuador.

Balsa Fishermen

El Morro Church

Fishing port of Posorja

Cerro el Muerto (Mountain of the dead man)

Old style fishing balsa sail craft

Stylish Ecuadorian hospitality

Small boat fishing fleet 

 Tricimoto

Engaboa

Salamandar

Catch of the day

Prize Rooster

This land that straddles the equator is so diverse.  Nestled between Peru to the south, Colombia to the north and the Pacific to the west, this tiny land mass offers so much: from the tropical amazon jungles and high sierras to the coastal plains and off shore islands.  For me Ecuador will be forever embodied into the sounds of the soft breeze whispering amongst the palm fronds, the midnight timbal of a cicada serenade and the rhythmic surge of Pacific Ocean surf.  

Tree at my window, window tree,
My sash is lowered when night comes on" 

Robert Frost

The culture is a rich blend of Indian origins and European influences, pervaded by the Spanish language and loaded with colloquial Ecuadorianisms.  Everyone has a welcoming smile and a genuine interest in who you are.  It could just be the good folks here have not developed gringo tourist fatigue yet.  Whatever the reason, I am grateful for the inclusion into their world.  The realization that my existence here is only temporary turns the corners of my mouth down.   

"don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened"

Dr Seuss

To think of our encroaching departure day turns me into grumpy cat. Recollecting all that happened does make me smile widely, especially as I reflect on all the changes in the kids over the last three months. They are sun kissed and bleached blonde from the endless summer of Ecuador's weather.  They have developed, not only physically but in their knowledge from all their amazing experiences and the incredible mentors they have met here.

Courtney, friend, inspiration, Spanish Teacher

Business hammock

"The Great Balsa Experimento"

After homeschooling you realize that most of the things you need to learn in life cannot be found in a book.  Sometimes a story of offshore voyages can inspire a mind to enquire and push the boundaries of possibilities   That process of creation blossoms in a world with fewer limitations.    

Although you want to cling on so tight sometimes, parenting is a journey of letting go not holding on.

Grateful passengers

Wannabe Skipper

Growing up on this voyage of life is about knowing when to be an acquiescent passenger and figuring out when to be your own captain. 

The most extensive teacher is the ocean.  But the gifts of learning, so freely given, are not just seashore ecology.  The disciplines taught are those of pushing the physical limits and sharing the stoke.

Sometimes the ocean just teaches you to just throw your hair back and simply enjoy the life you have been given.

Top Gun Magnum

Being a kid carries the heavy duty responsibility of consuming vast quantities of ice-cream.  Eating gelato with friends is a positively prime function.

A little sibling torture is, of course, always obligatory, it doesn't  quite teach the art of diplomacy but is certainly a good lesson in how to slither away uninjured.

Kids are the present in so many ways. Not only are they the most precious gift, but they live in the present. The past and the future pale into insignificance as they exuberantly seize each moment and live every opportunity to the fullest feeling. Unbound by protocols, it is they that teach us all the things we have forgotten that are important in life.

Birthday Bliss

Ecuador has taught me so much too.  The art of receiving love and appreciation is as important as the act of giving.  Each appreciative word and thoughtful gesture between us all is the connection which creates family.

Xavier, Monica, Andreas, Pili, Fernando, 

Fenya, Isabel, me and Jocelyn

When swinging in a hammock, caressed by the warm silk breeze, the decisions on what is important and the energy I want to include in my life seem obvious.

Of course those hammock daydreams involve fantasy mind surfing all the waves I caught and all the ones I wished I had. 

"Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love"

George Eliot

Our time here in paradise ebbs away on the full moon tide, words of thanks seem so inadequate.  Arriving here we were overwhelmed with the kindness of strangers.  We quickly became part of the community and now our departure is full of loving hugs from our Ecuadorian family.  This land, this place, this village owes its continued existence to a legendary family and two very special sisters who have spent a lifetime caring for the land and protecting the legacy of their ancestry.

Andrea and Dorothy

Greg and Silvia

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart"

Jean Baptiste Massieu

Echoes of Spanish expressions are etched onto my heart and my return to this land falls into the realm of ya mismo…it will happen I just don't know exactly when.

"With each sunrise we start anew"

Author unknown