"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."
-Rumi

For the holiday break this year we headed back to Vilcabamba, a small gringo-outpost in the south of Ecuador. Our specific destination in mind was one of our favorite spots in all of Ecuador - the cabins of Rumi Wilco. A small nature reserve just outside of town, Rumi Wilco is owned by two kind biologists who have made it their life’s work to run and operate an eco-lodge and reserve (with hiking trails, etc.). Lynsey and I find ourselves at our most relaxed, and our best, at this reserve and figured it was probably the best place we could bring in the holidays. Disconnected from it all, it took a moment of stepping back to get a glimpse of which direction to step forward.

Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life!
-Albert Einstein

Patient readers, hola otra vez! The blog has been sleeping quietly for 5 weeks while a steady stream of Parkers and a Schwab came to see our life here in Cuenca. In chronological order, Lynsey and I first hosted Jerry (my dad) and Jody (my aunt), a brother and sister combo on their first international foray together. Next to arrive was my best friend and brother, Brad, and his lovely wife, Danielle. A short week after their departure came Las Madres - the Parker and Schwab matriarchs traveling with two firsts: the new continent of South America and as new travel partners.

There are far too many stories to relay, so instead I'll speak of some highlights and let the photos tell the rest. However, I must say that, overall, having family visit was past meeting present; who we were meeting who we are. Our family brought “home” to Cuenca (including lots of goodies: clothes, spices, chocolate, shoes, a computer... the list goes on), and knowing that they all left with a fuller understanding of our life here and why we're staying for another year. Here are a few lines I wrote on this theme:

Thank you for letting us go
so that we can welcome you anew.
Life might be a line forward,
or just continually leaving
before coming back-
only to leave again.

Most of our friends, and most of the country for that matter, decided to head to the beach for Carnival. Somehow the promise of crowds, cocktails, and 24/7 bass beats didn't inspire Lynsey or I, and luckily our friends John and Janet proposed an intriguing alternative: hiking Ecuador's Inca Trail for three days to Ingapirca (Ecuador's most famous Inca ruins site). Vamòs, it was decided - we would spend Carnival with good friends and open space through yet another spectacular portion of this little gem of a country.

Lynsey and I made it back to Cuenca from our whirlwind vacation just in time for the new year. As our bus descended from El Cajas and into the outskirts of the city both she and I shared the feeling that it was good to be home. Our trip took us to remote indigenous villages, coastal fishing towns, and everything in between, but maybe it took seeing all that to realize that Cuenca has a special combination of elements that make it very livable for us. The city has it's faults, undoubtedly, but for this moment we both agreed that there wasn't another place in Ecuador we'd rather call home.

Happy new year friends, family, and web visitors! Two days ago Lynsey and I got home from a 20-day circuit around Ecuador, and there is much to share. We´ve decided to break the trip up into three parts: Volcanic mountain fun, the Cotopaxi experience, and our cruise down the coast. We hope everyone had a great holiday with friends and family, and know that you all were missed! We figured the next best thing to being with those closest to us would be to tour around and get to know our new country - so here are some things we discovered! The map below denotes the first two legs on the journey. It´s interactive so you can zoom, switch to Google Earth, etc. to get a better sense of the landscape. Enjoy!

We are thankful for old friends
and new amigos,
for comfortable places
and exciting new ones,
for loving families who support us
regardless of country or continent,
and for the good fortune
that has brought us
and sustained us
where we are.

-- Lynsey + Josh --
*turkey designed by Lynsey*

Thanksgiving abroad can be a bittersweet event. Of course, no one here celebrates this holiday, so you just do your best to explain the connections between Pilgrims, turkey, football, and overeating. Polite Ecuadorians smile and say it sounds nice, though I'm not sure how much of the essence our explanations capture. However, the one part universally understood was family. Families here are generally very tight-knit inter-connected units that influence every facet of life. Our students were able to empathize fully when we commented that the hardest part of Thanksgiving was being so far from families and friends. They got that, and probably most wondered if or why they would ever live outside of Cuenca - so far from everything and everyone they've ever known. Lynsey and I also ponder that question from time to time, but knowing that it comes inherently with living abroad . Despite the dull bitterness of missing loved ones, we do want to share some tidbits from Cuenca that we're certainly happy (and thankful) for - here they are:

To help our globe-traveling friends and family plan potential visits of their own, Lynsey and I put our calendar together here along with some of the highlight holidays to look forward to in Cuenca.

Our teaching contract at CEDEI lasts from September 24, 2012 to June 14, 2013. The typical work week looks like M-F (and possibly Saturday), and teaching about half the day (either mornings or evenings). That means that we'll be able to hang out with potential visitors even during a teaching week! Below you'll see a list of the extra days off along with some of the cultural celebrations that correspond. Please understand that "nos casa es su casa" when it comes to our Cuenca casa.

See the "Home" page for a live Google calendar of days off, events, and visitors!