Clear Blue Skies

Sunday, June 25, 2017  The Ecuador Journals #6 On some mornings, very rarely, the skies up here in the mountains are an almost crystal clear shade of blue. On days like this, if you’re in the right spot, you can see the peaks of mountains and snow-capped volcanoes. But every day isn’t like this; onContinue reading “Clear Blue Skies”

Have you been to Baños?

“Conociste a Baños?” “Have you been to/ visited Baños?” For the past few weeks, my answer to this question had been no. In response to this, I would often receive a reply saying I had to visit Baños. Now, I know why. From hiking up Ilaló mountain to spending a relaxing weekend at the beachContinue reading “Have you been to Baños?”

La Vida Ecuatoriana

The Ecuador Journals #5 Monday, June 19, 2017 L & C had invited friends over to their home for pizza, drinks, and dessert. As we ate, I tried to follow along with the conversation that eventually became so rapid and filled with novel words that I struggled a bit. Before I could translate a phraseContinue reading “La Vida Ecuatoriana”

Ecuador: The Country of Love

Sunday, June 11, 2017  The Ecuador Journals #4 I had just hit my toe on a rock while trying to say hello to some kids on the street. Note to Self: Look where you’re going. As I sat at the bus stop trying to stop the bleeding, an older man walked up to me findContinue reading “Ecuador: The Country of Love”

The Middle of the World?

What do you do when you find out everything you’ve ever known is wrong? Okay, I’m being a tad dramatic here. I had only known about this place for 2 weeks, and it’s hardly everything I’ve ever known. ∗∗∗ On a particularly sunny and clear Sunday afternoon, a few of us interns arrived at Ciudad MitadContinue reading “The Middle of the World?”

The Stretch Zone 

The Ecuador Journals #2  Sunday May 28, 2017 C drew three circles on the white board.The innermost one represented the comfort zone, the next one was the stretch zone and for when you’ve gone too far, the outermost circle represented the danger zone. Okay I can’t remember if she called it the danger zone, butContinue reading “The Stretch Zone “

An Afternoon in Casco Viejo, Panamá

Early in the morning, we eat tasty breakfast empanadas and arepas at Queso de Nilo’s in Chitré for the last time. Our final days in-country will be spent Panama City, and we can hardly wait. A week of public health activities has left us exhausted and in need of rest from 7am wake-up calls andContinue reading “An Afternoon in Casco Viejo, Panamá”

Hometown Tourist in Calabar, Nigeria

Hi there! Besides being swamped with work and other not fun stuff, I’ve been having a serious case of writer’s block. When this happens, I usually sift through all my photos to find inspiration. Most times it works but this time it didn’t. You know what did? Staring at the ceiling. As a result, I decidedContinue reading “Hometown Tourist in Calabar, Nigeria”