Day 3

Between swings of the make-shift hammer, I relish the sideways glances of the Ecuadorian landscape. The vistas of lurking volcanoes and unmasked hardship sit coupled in my mind as uniquely Ecuadorian, though this part of the world in undoubtedly wrought with both. According to our evening tour guide, these volcanoes don't erupt in Pompeii fashion, killing/preserving in a flash, but rather, there is a mild explosion of rocks followed by a massive cloud of vapor. Rarely is there ash. And you call yourselves volcanoes!

I am living in 3 languages. English translations of my simple Spanish thoughts, English, and Old English. My days are spent in total immersion of all three simultaneously. The weight of my impending school year leaves a dulling effect on mind, honing the edges of experience. I am mostly here in the moment...expect when I am not. There is little to be done about this weight, only breathe and drink more. One of those things will help.

Day 1

Sitting in a room fighting colonial roots and third-world conceits, we start our adventure despite not having read the manual. From left to right sit Eric, Lane, Nardin, Sandra, Christie, Dave, Joanne, Natalie, Erin, Jennifer, and Kate. Between the furtive glances and fumbled foreign phrases, we start. We listen, we giggle, we joke, we dream of change. There is little to support that dream but the people in the room, the strangers in the room. They can't be trusted, such is the nature of strangers, but they linger in the periphery as strangers often do. It takes time. Which is all we have. Tomorrow won't be so strange.